Fuel Cells: Hydrogen

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Government (a) has invested and (b) plans to invest in the development of hydrogen fuel cell technologies.

Norman Baker: Since 2009 the Technology Strategy Board and co-funding partner the Department for Energy and Climate Change have invested in excess of £41m into fuel cell and hydrogen technologies. The Department for Energy and Climate Change's contribution has been nearly £10m. This represents projects with a total value, with the industrial contribution, of over £85m. In this financial year 2013-14 the Technology Strategy Board has plans to invest a further £4.5m into ongoing activity supporting fuel cell manufacturing and the supply chain and £5m into technologies specifically enabling the market for hydrogen. Fuel cells and hydrogen technologies are a part of the Technology Strategy Board's energy strategy and further investments into this area are anticipated during the current spending review period, to continue to support UK companies developing products for this growing global market.

Fuel Cells: Hydrogen

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what support and investment the Government has provided to the UK's first open access hydrogen refuelling station in Swindon.

Norman Baker: The UK's first open access hydrogen refuelling station in Swindon is a central part of a project awarded funding in July 2012 from the Technology Strategy Board and the Department for Energy and Climate Change. The project aims to supply green hydrogen to the refuelling station for multiple vehicle use and a significant part of the benefit of the project is the fact that it builds on the previous investment in this unique facility. The total cost of the project is £3.5m and it has been awarded a grant of £1.75m. It is one of five projects funded in a programme with a total value - including business contributions, of over £19m - with grant funding of £7.5m from the Technology Strategy Board and £1.5m from the Department for Energy and Climate Change.

Defence Support Group

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what dividend has been paid by the Defence Support Group to his Department in each year since 2008; what savings have accrued in reduced costs and efficiencies in each such year; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: The dividends returned from Defence Support Group (DSG) from an almost entirely Ministry of Defence (MOD) revenue stream have been:
	
		
			 Financial year £ million 
			 2008-09 5.2 
			 2009-10 4.5 
			 2010-11 2.3 
			 2011-12 4.5 
			 2012-13 7 
		
	
	It should be noted that, while a good indication of the DSG Trading Fund managing its business well, it is only at the moment MOD money circulating through one of its own business divisions.

Hotels

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many officials in his Department stayed in hotels in (a) the UK and (b) every other country during the last five years; at what total cost; and what the monetary value was of the 20 highest such hotel expenses in each such year.

Stephen Crabb: Information on hotels booked is only available from February 2010, prior to this date individuals filed paper claim forms and the information could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost. The following tables detail:
	
		
			 (a) Hotels used in the UK 
			  Number of officials stayed in hotels Total cost (£) 
			 2009-10 12 3,663.16 
			 2010-11 28 18,958.92 
			 2011-12 43 25,398.44 
			 2012-13 42 18,855.71 
		
	
	
		
			 (b) Hotels outside the UK 
			  Number of officials stayed in hotels outside UK Total cost (£) 
			 2009-10 3 328.50 
			 2010-11 0 — 
			 2011-12 0 — 
			 2012-13 3 975.06 
		
	
	The following table sets out the Top 20 rates booked by officials:
	
		
			 £ 
			  Top 20 rates claimed 
			  2009-10(1) 2010-11 2011-12(2) 2012-13 
			 1 120.00 120.00 120.00 218.56 
			 2 99.87 119.88 118.80 179.31 
			 3 99.86 119.19 110.00 122.29 
			 4 99.62 102.00 102.00 121.29 
			 5 99.00 100.00 100.00 120.00 
			 6 97.75 99.88 95.00 118.00 
			 7 95.00 99.87 91.00 117.26 
			 8 85.00 99.86 89.00 114.89 
			 9 80.00 99.00 85.00 112.44 
			 10 75.00 97.75 83.00 112.23 
			 11 64.62 95.00 82.00 107.50 
			 12 64.00 94.50 80.00 105.00 
			 13 59.00 91.00 79.00 104.18 
			 14 55.00 89.62 78.99 103.83 
			 15 — 89.00 72.00 102.17 
			 16 — 85.00 66.00 102.00 
			 17 — 84.62 64.00 101.38 
			 18 — 84.00 49.95 101.17 
			 19 — 83.00 — 100.00 
			 20 — 82.00 — 97.50 
			 (1) Only 14 rates booked. (2 )Only 18 rates booked.

Liver Diseases

Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on (a) improving provision for the treatment of advanced liver disease in Wales and (b) supporting patients who have to travel to England for such treatment.

David Jones: As health is a devolved matter, it is for the Welsh Government to determine its own health policies to meet the needs of the people of Wales.
	The Wales Office, the Department of Health and the Welsh Government have been working together to agree long term solutions to some of the cross-border issues which have emerged since devolution. The Protocol for Cross-Border Healthcare Services was published on 1 April 2013. This protocol has been developed between the NHS in England and Wales and will be regularly reviewed to secure cross-border health care provision in a way that supports improved patient outcomes and avoids the fragmentation of care.

Broadband

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2013, Official Report, column 710W, on broadband, whether Ofcom has set a timetable for revising the annual fees for 900MHz and 1800MHz spectrum.

Edward Vaizey: Ofcom have stated they will publish a consultation later in the year seeking views on the proposed methodology that will be used in setting the revised annual licence fees for the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz spectrum.

Broadband: Enterprise Zones

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what benchmarks, deadlines and targets she has set for (a) broadband roll out and (b) superfast broadband roll out to enterprise zones.

Edward Vaizey: The Government have committed to ensuring that enterprise zones will have access to superfast broadband by May 2015. The Government are working with each enterprise zone to develop plans for broadband roll-out and is exploring opportunities to bring forward delivery where possible.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to ensure the fastest possible rollout of fibre-optic broadband networks to rural areas in the UK.

Edward Vaizey: We are making good progress on the local broadband projects with 19 contracts signed to date and we expect them all to be agreed by the end of the summer. The Government have also committed to removing a swathe of red tape to avoid potential delays to the rollout of infrastructure and we remain on track to deliver these reforms by the summer of 2013. Northern Ireland was allocated £4.4 million to support broadband roll-out and the Northern Ireland Assembly has local responsibility for delivery of a broadband project using that funding.

Museums and Galleries

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people visited museums in (a) Barnsley, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) England in 2012.

Edward Vaizey: holding answer 15 April 2013
	The total number of visits to national museums and galleries in England for 2012 are 44,519,777. However we are unable to provide data for Barnsley and South Yorkshire as the data is not held centrally.
	Total visits to all England museums can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  Number 
			 2008 41,107,722 
			 2009 41,154,524 
			 2010 43,316,838 
			 2011 43,734,704

Pay

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what criteria are used in (a) her Department and (b) each public body for which she is responsible to determine which officials receive bonus payments.

Hugh Robertson: Bonus payments are made to officials in DCMS for two purposes: in year payments to reward outstanding contributions, in particularly demanding tasks or situations with small one-off payments, and performance related payments, to reward highly successful performance over a whole appraisal year. Awards are made in line with Departmental policy. Cabinet Office principles and Civil Service Pay guidelines on performance-related pay.
	The criteria used is as follows:
	In Year Reward Scheme:
	Dealing with demanding situations, e.g. matters of political sensitivity or organisational change
	Taking a creative or innovative approach to one or more work situations
	Delivering key ministerial objectives
	Short term commitment to getting the job done, meeting difficult deadlines to an excellent standard
	Performance Related Pay Scheme:
	Have exceeded all agreed objectives, making a very strong contribution to the work of the Department.
	Have demonstrated and championed DCMS values consistently throughout the year.
	Are a role model across the Department and/or externally
	Since 2010-11 DCMS has restricted performance related payments for senior civil servants to the top 25% of performers (from 65% in previous years) and to 40% for staff in delegated grades (from 60% in previous years) since 2011-12.
	We do not hold central records for our public bodies.

Agricultural Wages Board

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the abolition of the Agricultural Wages Board on agricultural workers' wages in (a) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency, (b) North Yorkshire and (c) the North East of England.

David Heath: There has not been any assessment of regional impact of abolition of the Agricultural Wages Board on agricultural worker's wages.
	We have been quite clear that there is considerable uncertainty about the impact on workers’ wages. The reality will depend on demand, which evidence shows is increasing, and how farmers use the increased flexibility.
	Many workers are already paid above the agricultural minimum wage for their grade, so it is probable that their wages will not be affected by the removal of the Agricultural Wages Board. Moreover, the underlying market conditions suggest that farmers will need to offer competitive packages to attract and retain skilled and qualified staff.
	Workers with existing contracts at the time of abolition will retain entitlement to the terms of that employment until the contract either comes to an end or is varied by agreement between the worker and the employer.
	All workers will be protected by the national minimum wage.

Animal Welfare: Crime

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recent discussion he has had with the Secretary of State for Justice regarding sentencing for and protection against animal cruelty offences; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he has considered introducing a lifetime ban for animal ownership for persistent or serious offenders of animal cruelty;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of increasing the maximum sentence available for animal cruelty offences for the purposes of ensuring sufficient protection and deterrent measures; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: holding answer 23 April 2013
	Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence to cause any unnecessary suffering to an animal or to fail to provide for an animal's welfare needs. On conviction, the maximum penalties available for an offence of unnecessary suffering are a fine of £20,000 or six months’ imprisonment, or both. The maximum penalties for failing to provide for the welfare of an animal are a fine of £5,000 or six months’ imprisonment, or both. The court may, in addition to any other punishment on conviction, disqualify the person convicted from having custody of any animal for such a period as it thinks fit. This could mean a lifetime ban from keeping animals.
	Sections 85-87 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 provide powers to remove the maximum limits’ of penalties imposed on offenders by magistrates courts. However, these sections have not yet been commenced.

Bees: Pesticides

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he plans to take in response to the findings in relation to bee health of the recent peer reviews of risk assessments of neonicotinoid pesticides undertaken by the European Food Safety Authority; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: The Government has been examining the evidence on this important issue with care. We have always made it clear that we will be guided by the evidence and will act if there is a need. If action were needed, we would want to make sure that this was effective in reducing risks to bees while minimising unintended consequences for the environment or human health.
	The independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides has considered the evidence on neonicotinoids on several occasions. The Committee advised, following its meeting on 29 January, that there were grounds for a review of neonicotinoid product authorisations under pesticides legislation. Ministers have accepted this advice and officials in the Health and Safety Executive's Chemicals Regulation Directorate launched this work on 5 April.
	While laboratory studies show that bees may be significantly affected by neonicotinoids, field data on honey bees indicates that the level of exposure in non-laboratory conditions does not lead to these harmful effects. There has been an absence of field data on other bee species and DEFRA therefore commissioned field trials on bumble bees. This work was published on the DEFRA website with our assessment of the key evidence and is now available online at:
	www.gov.uk
	This work concludes that it is not possible to rule out rare effects of neonicotinoids on bees in the field. However, the evidence indicates that effects on bees do not occur under normal circumstances. Consequently, it supports the view that the risk to bee populations from neonicotinoids, as they are currently used, is low.
	The European Commission has proposed restrictions on the use of three neonicotinoids, following the peer review by the European Food Safety Authority. We have urged the Commission to complete the scientific assessment, taking account of our new research, and to assess the impacts of action so that the measures taken are proportionate to the risks identified.

Bees: Pesticides

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact on bees of the use of neonicotinoid pesticides.

David Heath: While laboratory studies show that bees may be significantly affected by neonicotinoids, field data on honey bees indicates that the level of exposure in non-laboratory conditions does not lead to these harmful effects. There has been an absence of field data on other bee species and DEFRA, therefore, commissioned field trials on bumble bees. The report of these field trials was published on the DEFRA website with our assessment of the key evidence and is now available online at:
	www.gov.uk
	Our assessment of the overall evidence concludes that it is not possible to rule out rare effects of neonicotinoids on bees in the field. However, the evidence indicates that effects on bees do not occur under normal circumstances. Consequently, it supports the view that the risk to bee populations from neonicotinoids, as they are currently used, is low. It is clear that more research is needed in this area, and we are both commissioning additional work and encouraging other EU states and the Commission to do so.

Livestock Industry

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what steps he plans to take to assist livestock owners whose herd numbers have been reduced as a result of unseasonable weather;
	(2)  what assistance his Department is offering to farmers in Shropshire who have lost livestock as a result of the recent unseasonable cold weather.

David Heath: The latest steps that the Government has taken to assist those farmers which have been severely affected by the cold weather were set out in my written ministerial statement on 18 April 2013, Official Report, column 34WS.

Livestock: Exports

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues in the Department for Transport on bringing forward legislative proposals to amend the Ports and Harbours Act 1847 to permit port authorities to refuse to allow the export of live animals through their ports.

David Heath: I have not had any discussions with ministerial colleagues in the Department for Transport. The Harbour Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847 aims to ensure that ports are available to all without discrimination. It would not be an appropriate legal instrument to use it to introduce an effective barrier to trade for the use by port authorities as they see fit. In any case, banning the export of live animals would be illegal and undermine the principle of free movement of goods enshrined in the treaty on the functioning of the European Union.

Business: Females

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what recent representations she has received on equality of opportunity for women in company boardrooms.

Jo Swinson: The Minister for Women and Equalities, the right hon. Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller), attended the launch of Cranfield’s Female FTSE 100 report and the Lord Davies’ ‘two-year on’ Women on Boards report on 10 April alongside the President of the CBI, Sir Roger Carr, and the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable). Both reports highlight progress is being made for female directors on the boards of FTSE 100 companies and the FTSE 250.
	The Minister for Women and Equalities discussed with a wide range of stakeholders, including FTSE chairs and members of the 30% Club, the progress being made and what more can be done to accelerate the progress we are already making.

Castes

William Bain: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what the policy of her Department is on placing discrimination on the grounds of caste on an equal footing as other discrimination on the grounds of race under section 9(5) of the Equality Act 2010; and if she will bring forward legislative proposals to that end.

Helen Grant: The UK Government thinks that no-one should suffer prejudice or discrimination. Such behaviour is wrong and should not be condoned whether or not it is prohibited by legislation. This is a deeply complex issue but we have not seen any evidence so far that suggests that legislation is the most appropriate way of dealing with caste discrimination, to the extent that this exists in Britain.
	The current Government is the first Government to address the issue of caste discrimination. A written ministerial statement of 1 March 2013, Official Report, columns 39-40WS, announced an educational initiative with the Hindu and Sikh communities on the complex and sensitive issue of caste prejudice.

Castes

William Bain: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what assessment she has made of the compatibility of the current law on racial discrimination in the UK with the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in respect of (a) discrimination on grounds of caste and (b) other matters.

Helen Grant: The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination refers to racial discrimination as being based on
	“race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin”.
	The convention places no obligation on states to incorporate it into domestic law and the UK has not done so. The Government understands its obligation under the convention to take all necessary measures to ensure that the law and practice of the UK fully respects and implements all the provisions of the convention. The Government is confident that it has done so and continues to do so.

Disability: Equality

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of statutory equality needs in the context of planned changes to the structure of provisions to enable disabled people to live independently.

Esther McVey: The Government considers the equality implications of all policy changes and publishes these, where appropriate, as required by the 2010 Equality Act and the 2006 Act which preceded it. At every stage of policy development the Department gives due regard to equality needs and continues to carry out analysis of the likely impacts of its policies on protected groups, including disabled people. Impact assessments of policy changes are provided routinely, in accordance with the Equality Act.
	The Department published an impact assessment and equality impact assessment on the reform of DLA in May 2012.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/174995/dla-reform-wr2011-ia.pdf.pdf
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/174970/eia-dla-reform-wr2011.pdf.pdf
	The Department also published updated equality impact analysis in our response to the consultation on the Personal Independence Payment assessment criteria and regulations.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/181181/pip-assessment-thresholds-and-consultation-response.pdf
	A full equality impact assessment was also published alongside the Government's response to the consultation on the future of the Independent Living Fund in December 2012.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/184151/closure-of-independent-living-fund-eia.pdf

Human Papillomavirus

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many payments have been made by the NHS to compensate girls who have had an adverse reaction to the drug Cerverix in each of the last three years.

Esther McVey: As Minister responsible for this policy, I will be answering on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health.
	To clarify, vaccine damage payments are paid by the Department of Work and Pensions to ease the present and future burdens of those suffering from vaccine damage and their families; the payment is not compensation.
	The Department does not hold information on which specific vaccines are linked to a successful vaccine damage payment claim.
	Claimants are asked to specify on the claim form all the vaccinations the disabled person received. However, as many vaccinations can be given in close proximity to each other it is not always possible to state categorically which vaccine caused the adverse reaction. Where a payment is made disability is not attributed to any specific. vaccination.

Universal Credit

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the potential additional cost of increasing the maximum childcare subsidy available under universal credit from 70 per cent to 85 per cent of childcare costs for families that do not have a member earning more than the income tax personal allowance in 2015-16.

Mark Hoban: The Government wants to encourage people to work and where possible to increase their hours and recognise that those working the longest hours are likely to face the greatest child care costs. The Government will spend an additional £200 million on child care support through universal credit, which is equivalent to providing support for 85% of child care costs for families qualifying for the universal credit child care element where the lone parent or both earners in a couple pay income tax. This will be introduced from April 2016.
	The details of how to provide this support will be determined as part of a wider consultation on the Tax-free Childcare scheme for those families outside universal credit, to ensure the two schemes operate effectively together. This will be published in due course.
	All figures refer to universal credit steady-state when migration has been completed and universal credit has been fully rolled out.

Animal Experiments

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she takes to ensure that non-technical summaries of applications for projects licences under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (a) are a fair summary of the applications before she publishes them and (b) highlight the anticipated harms to animals and benefits from the research.

James Brokenshire: All project licence applications must be accompanied by a project summary written in non-technical terms. The project summary must explain objectives of the programme of work specified in the application; describe the types of animal and estimate the number of each type that will be used; predict the harm to the animals that will be caused and benefits that will be gained by carrying out the programme of work; and demonstrate how the applicant will comply with the principles of replacement, reduction and refinement throughout the project.
	Home Office staff will assess the non-technical summaries to ensure they are a fair summary of the applications before they are published and that they highlight the anticipated harms to animals and benefits from the research as part of the process of assessing the project licence application.

Asylum: Repatriation

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) nationality and (b) gender was of each person assisted to return home under the Assisted Voluntary Return Scheme operated by Refugee Action on (i) 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2011 and (ii) 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2012; and to which country each such person was returned.

Mark Harper: holding answer 18 April 2013
	Three male individuals from Albania, Bangladesh and India were returned to their home countries respectively under the Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) scheme on 31 December 2012 run by Refugee Action. There were no AVR's on 1 January 2011, 31 December 2011 or 1 January 2012.
	The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics on the number of persons removed or departed voluntarily from the UK within Immigration Statistics. The data on removals and voluntary departures are available in the latest release, Immigration Statistics: October to December 2012, tables rv.01 to rv.08, from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Science website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2012/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2012

Deportation: EU Nationals

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many EU nationals challenged deportation orders in each of the last five years; and how many such challenges were (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful.

Mark Harper: The requested data is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Table 1: Appeals lodged by EEA nationals against deportation orders (2008-12) 
			 Year appeal lodged 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Total 
			 Number of appeals lodged 112 150 260 272 373 1,167 
			 Of which:       
			 Successful (appeal allowed) 38 54 117 129 132 470 
			 Unsuccessful (appeal dismissed) 39 60 83 75 109 366 
		
	
	(a) All figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.
	(b) Data relates to appeals lodged between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2012.
	(c) Appeal outcomes may have been reached in years subsequent to the year the appeal was lodged or may remain outstanding. Appeals awaiting an outcome are not shown in the table above.

Police: Libya

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK police officers are working in Libya; what the cost of such officers has been to date; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: The Home Office does not hold this data.

Coroners

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the approximate geographical size is of each current coroner's district;
	(2)  with reference to his Department's consultation CP2/2013, on coroner reforms, what the estimated geographical size of each coroner area will be;
	(3)  with reference to his Department's consultation paper CP2/2013, on coroner reforms, what the estimated population is of each coroner area;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the human population of each coroner district.

Helen Grant: The information requested in the above PQs is not held by the MOJ.
	Information held by MOJ in relation to coroners is published at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coroners-statistics-ns
	The next publication will cover the year 2012 and will be available on the 16 on May 2013.
	However some information on size of coroner districts and their population can be obtained through the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountability:
	http://www.cipfa.org/

Criminal Proceedings

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the average mean number of days was from offence to completion, (a) by region and (b) in total for (i) magistrates and (ii) Crown courts in England and Wales in (A) 2011-12 and (B) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what proportion of trials at (a) magistrates and (b) Crown courts were ineffective (i) in total and (ii) by region in (A) 2011-12 and (B) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Helen Grant: Data relating to the period 2012-13 is due for publication on 20 June 2013, as such this information is currently unavailable.
	Table 1 presents the average (mean) number of days taken from offence to completion, broken down by region and court type for financial year 2011-12. The time taken from offence to completion is affected by factors such as the complexity of the case and the time taken to report the crime following the incident.
	With regards to the proportion of ineffective trials, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 January 2013, Official Report, column 777W.
	In November last year, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling), announced as one of his priorities a real drive for a criminal justice and court system that works effectively and puts victims first. Work is underway to increase both the effectiveness and efficiency of the criminal justice system. It will look at the whole of the system to drive performance and tackle some of the perennial weaknesses so it is quicker, less erratic and more efficient. We will be publishing a strategy and action plan shortly which will set out in detail how we will achieve this.
	
		
			 Table 1 Average number of days from offence to completion for all criminal cases completed in the magistrates courts and the Crown court, by region, England and Wales, 2011-12(1, 2, 3) 
			  Average number of days from offence to completion 
			 Region Magistrates courts(4) Crown Court(5) All completed criminal cases 
			 London 151 312 163 
			 Midlands 149 316 160 
			 North East 130 295 141 
			 North West 138 305 149 
			 South East 145 324 156 
			 South West 141 338 153 
			 Wales 150 276 158 
			 England and Wales 143 311 154 
			 (1) Excludes breaches and cases with an offence to completion time greater than 10 years. (2) Statistics are sourced from the CREST linked court data and included around 95% of completed cases. (3) Only one offence is counted for each defendant in the case. If two or more cases complete on the same day, the case with the longest duration is included. (4) Included cases completed in the magistrates courts during the specified time period, where no further action is required by the magistrates courts, excluding committals. (5) Included all criminal cases which have received a verdict and concluded in the specified time period, in the Crown court. Data source: Libra Management Information System Timeliness Analysis Report (TAR) and CREST linked court data, HM Courts and Tribunals Service Source: Criminal Courts Statistics, Justice Statistics Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice

Disclosure of Information

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the legal protection afforded to whistleblowers who disclose information relating to the use of public funds.

Jo Swinson: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Government has made no specific consideration of the protection afforded to those who make disclosures about the use of public funds. The Government believe whistleblowing protections are working well overall and in keeping with a recent commitment, will shortly be issuing a call for evidence to establish if there is a case for making changes further to the ones already included in the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill.

Personal Injury: Compensation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the Government plans to publish the response to its consultation entitled Reducing the Number and Costs of Whiplash Claims.

Helen Grant: The ‘Reducing the number and cost of whiplash claims’ consultation closed on 8 March 2013. Submissions received from stakeholders are currently being analysed. The Government will publish its response in due course.

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many days of work were carried out by officials in (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies and non-departmental public body on average in each of the last five years; and what the total salary cost was of officials in each year.

Helen Grant: The MOJ staff paybill has reduced by £330 million since 2009.
	The average total number of days that should be worked by each member of staff in the Ministry of Justice, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies is 225. For the purposes of departmental calculations, this takes into account weekends, bank holidays, privilege days, and assumes 25 annual leave days for everyone.
	Tables showing details of the end of year figures for full time equivalent (FTE) staff, the average number of days worked and the pay bill throughout each of those years is set out as follows.
	The tables exclude working days lost to sickness absence. For this, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer from my right hon. Friend the Member for Ashford (Damian Green), on 21 March 2013, Official Report, column 820W.
	Details for the financial year 2012-13 are not currently available as they are currently being produced and will be available on the Justice pages of the:
	www.yougov.co.uk
	website in the year. A link to the website is as follows:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/corporate-reports
	Tables showing total MOJ Pay Bill and FTE at the end of each financial year for the period 31 March 2009 to 31 March 2012 are as follows:
	
		
			 Organisation name Payroll FTE as at 31 March 2012 End of year total days worked (FTE) Payroll Paybill for 2010-12 (£) 
			 MOJ 66,589.68 14,982,678.00 2,391,486,501 
			 Agencies 598.51 134,664.75 22,755,499 
			 ALB/NDPB 2,260.03 508,506.75 84,941,667 
			 Total 69,448.22 15,625,849.50 2,499,183,668 
		
	
	
		
			 Organisation name Payroll FTE as at 31 March 2011 End of year total days worked (FTE) Payroll Paybill for 2010-11 (£) 
			 MOJ HQ 72,760.20 16,371,045.00 2,621,180,445 
			 Agencies 5,437.92 1,223,532.00 210,215,547 
			 ALB/NDPB 2,246.53 505,469.25 88,642,124 
			 Total 80,444.65 18,100,046.25 2,920,038,116 
		
	
	
		
			 Organisation name Payroll FIE as at 31 March 2010 End of year total days worked (FTE) Payroll Paybill for 2009-10 (£) 
			 MOJ 74,207.21 16,696,622.25 2,517,067,639 
			 Other Agencies 6,087.75 1,369,743.75 230,598,000 
			 ALB/NDPB 2,213.55 498,048.75 83,502,000 
			 Total 82,508.51 18,564,414.75 2,831,167,639 
		
	
	
		
			 Organisation name Payroll FTE as at 31 March 2009 End of year total days worked (FTE) Payroll Paybill for 2008-09 (£) 
			 MOJ HQ 76,460.89 17,203,700.25 0 
			 Agencies 0.00 0.00 0 
			 ALB/NDPB 0.00 0.00 0 
			 Total 76,460.89 17,203,700.25 0 
			 Notes: 1. Single source paybill figures for 2009 are not available as the Ministry has only been collecting them since March 2010 as a Cabinet Office requirement. Probation Trusts paybill figures are also are unavailable as the Ministry does not hold the data centrally. 2. For 2011-12, "MOJ" includes Ministry of Justice (HQ), HM Courts and Tribunals Service, National Offender Management Service, the Office of the Public Guardian, and the UK Supreme Court. "Other agencies" include The National Archives. NDPBs for the period include the Criminal Cases Review Commission, Information Commissioner's Office, Judicial Appointments Commission, Legal Services Board, Legal Services Commission, Parole Board, Probation Trusts and the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales. 3. Payroll Bill details for the 35 England and Wales Probation Trusts are not available for the year 2011-12. 4. For 2010-11, those business areas within "MOJ" are the same as in 2011-12, but also include the Scotland and Wales Offices, and the then separated HM Court Service and HM Tribunals Service. 5. "Other agencies" were The National Archives and The Land Registry. 6. NDPBs for the period remain the same as 2011-12.

Israel

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to (a) UEFA and (b) the government of Israel on (i) access to tickets and (ii) free movement across borders for football fans from the West Bank and Gaza during the UEFA under-21 football tournament in Israel in June 2013.

Alistair Burt: We have not raised these specific issues with the Israeli authorities or with Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
	We do however remain deeply concerned about restrictions on freedom of movement from the west bank and Gaza. Through our embassy in Tel Aviv, we frequently lobby the appropriate authorities on the issue of movement and access. We continue to work closely with the Quartet and EU partners, and to call on Israel to ease restrictions on access on all occasions including the UEFA Under-21 football championship, which will take place in Israel in June.
	We hope that the tournament will create opportunities to use football to break down barriers between Israelis and Palestinians.

Mongolia

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Mongolian government to ensure that UK-based companies will be awarded contracts in respect of the extraction of natural minerals in that country; and what steps he is taking to ensure that any such extraction is undertaken in a sustainable manner.

Hugo Swire: We are working hard to build a stronger trading relationship with Mongolia for the mutual benefit of both countries. The extraction of natural minerals in Mongolia is an important catalyst to Mongolia's economic growth and we have highlighted to the Mongolian Government the expertise that British companies offer in this area. In February, I met Tsagaan Puntsag, the Chief of Staff to the President of Mongolia, where I discussed this issue. I also hosted the biennial UK—Mongolia Round Table talks in November 2012 where I discussed with the Mongolia Deputy Foreign Minister Damba Gankhuyag commercial opportunities for both countries. Opportunities in Mongolia's extractive industries were an important part of these discussions. In order to promote further opportunities for UK companies in Mongolia, UKTI have recently opened an office in Ulaanbaatar to support UK firms doing business in a sustainable manner.

Official Hospitality

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible claimed reimbursements for working lunches and official entertainment in each of the last five years; and what the total cost was in each such year.

Alistair Burt: (a) The Foreign and Commonwealth Office undertakes a vast range of activities to establish and maintain diplomatic contacts throughout our network of over 260 overseas posts, as well as diplomatic activity in-the UK to promote British interests. This includes meetings and events hosted for political and business delegations (including those in support of UK Trade and Industry) which range in size from large trade delegations to small working lunches with key senior contacts. Any such spending is undertaken for business reasons and expenditure on hospitality is kept under close scrutiny to ensure value for money and effectiveness, in accordance with HM Treasury guidance.
	Total costs for business hospitality and official representation in UK and our missions overseas were:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2012-13 8,816,318.72 
			 2011-12 8,206,034.33 
			 2010-11 7,840,245.44 
			 2009-10 9,115,834.45 
			 2008-09 10,188,722.93 
		
	
	As part of its commitment to transparency, the FCO publishes the business expenses and hospitality of its senior London-based staff. These include travel costs and are subject to detailed Cabinet Office and internal guidance and regular audit. Details can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fco-senior-staff-expenses-and-hospitality
	All FCO expenditure on Government Procurement cards is published online and can be seen at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-procurement-card-data
	(b) The FCO does not hold data for non-departmental public bodies. We have received the following responses:
	The Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission have not incurred expenditure on entertainment costs. Expenses for the Foreign Compensation Commission, Wilton Park and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy are not recorded by expenditure type, but by project or event. They are therefore unable to segregate the working lunches element from other expenses relating to an individual project without disproportionate costs.
	FCO Services provided the following data:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2012-13 2,269.98 
			 2011-12 756.19 
			 2010-11 5,602.79 
			 2009-10 4,666.38 
			 2008-09 3,525.79 
		
	
	I will write to the hon. Member when the data is available for British Council and the Great China Centre and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.

Palestinians

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of current reconciliation talks between Hamas and Fattah.

Alistair Burt: We continue to follow closely developments regarding the issue of reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah. The British Government's position, and that of the EU, remains that Palestinian reconciliation, if agreed on the basis of the principles set out by President Abbas in his speech of 4 May 2011, would be a positive step for the unity of a future Palestinian state and for reaching a two state solution.

Policy Programme Evaluation Board

Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  how many times the Policy Programme Evaluation Board has met since its creation; and on what dates;
	(2)  what the names are of those who sit on his Department's Policy Programme Evaluation Board.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) Policy Programme Evaluation Board has met five times since its creation and is due to meet again on Monday 29 April 2013. The previous meetings have been held on:
	27 July 2011
	9 November 2011
	29 February 2012
	17 May 2012
	14 September 2012
	The FCO Policy Programme Evaluation Board is Chaired by Ann Cormack, a Non-Executive. The Members are:
	David Lidington, Minister for Europe
	Barbara Woodward, FCO Director-General Economic and Consular
	Iain Walker, FCO Finance Director
	Julia Bond. Non-Executive
	Neil Wigan, Her Majesty's Ambassador Kinshasa
	Martin Harris. Her Majesty's Ambassador Bucharest
	Carolyn Miller, Non-Executive
	Department for International Development (DFID) representative (to be confirmed, following a change in personnel).

Redundancy Pay

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) each of the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible received payments under a voluntary exit scheme in each of the last five years; and at what total cost in each such year.

Alistair Burt: The information is as follows.
	(a) The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) publishes this information in its annual reports and accounts. The FCO runs exit schemes in accordance with the Civil Service Compensation Scheme. All schemes run across the civil service are approved by the Cabinet Office.
	The FCO has run a range of voluntary early exit schemes (Flexible Early Retirement and Flexible Early Severance). The current voluntary exit scheme has been in existence since December 2010. Under the reformed scheme, all costs fall within the year of departure. The NAO estimate that exits under the existing scheme cost around 40% to 50% less than under the previous compensation scheme. The reformed scheme also allows for greater distinction between voluntary and compulsory exits and is designed to encourage voluntary rather than compulsory departures.
	131 staff left the FCO in 2010-11 under the voluntary exit scheme, at a cost of £15.3 million. 118 of these left under the terms of the previous compensation scheme (under which costs could extend for up to 10 years from departure).
	89 staff left in 2011-12 under the voluntary exit scheme at a cost of £5.3 million.
	The method for calculating payments under the compensation scheme was modified between the publication of the 2009-10 and 2010-11 accounts. Although we ran early exit schemes in previous years, we do not have comparable data for these years. It would incur disproportionate costs to search individual files to determine exact numbers and cost.
	(b) The FCO does not hold data for non-departmental public bodies. We have received the following information:
	FCO Services:
	2010-11 to £1,546,399, average £36,819 (42 officers left)—in the annual report 2010-11 £2.030 million (includes CILON, annual leave payments, additional pensions etc), see page 38 (text) and page 67 (detail).
	2011-12—£1,077,345, average £35,912 (30 officers left)—in the annual report 2011-12 £1.5 million (includes CILON, annual leave payments, additional pensions etc).
	Great Britain China Centre (GBCC) have not run any exit schemes. The Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) ran a single exit scheme in 2009-10 at a cost of £116,000.
	I will write to my hon. Friend when the data is available for British Council and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.

Sexual Offences

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with which members of the UN Security Council he plans to discuss the G8 Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict in advance of the UK's presidency in June 2013.

Mark Simmonds: We will use the UK presidency of the Security Council in June to build a wider global coalition behind the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative to overcome the political and practical barriers to tackling the culture of impunity for sexual violence in conflict. This includes garnering the support of members of the Security Council for the historic Declaration adopted by the G8 on 11 April 2013. The Declaration was agreed by the three members of the G8 who are also member of the Security Council and we have shared the Declaration with all other council members. We will discuss it in more detail with them prior to our presidency in June.

Somalia

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the government of Somaliland will be participating in the conference on Somalia in May.

Mark Simmonds: The UK very much hoped to see Somaliland Government at the Somalia conference. However, the Somaliland authorities have now responded formally to inform us that they will not be attending.

16-19 Bursary Fund

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 15 April 2013, Official Report, column 118W, on 16-19 Bursary Fund: Barrow in Furness, what statistics on take-up of the 16-19 Bursary Fund are being collected centrally, including regional and demographic breakdowns.

David Laws: holding answer 22 April 2013
	Data covering 2012/13 and subsequent years is being collected through the School Census and Individual Learner Record covering the number of young people awarded discretionary and vulnerable group bursaries at each provider. This will not include the value of bursaries awarded.
	The data will enable regional and demographic breakdowns by age, gender and ethnicity if the data collected is of sufficient quality.
	Management information covering the number and value of vulnerable group bursaries and the number of discretionary bursaries awarded at a sample of providers in 2011/12 has been collected by the Education Funding Agency. This has provided national level statistics which we aim to publish in the first Independent Evaluation Interim Report in May 2013. This management information will also be collected in subsequent years.

Academies: Finance

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on what grounds he is able to revoke an academy funding agreement.

David Laws: The grounds for terminating an academy funding agreement vary depending on the specific clauses of the individual funding agreement. Academy funding agreements are available in the School Performance section of the Department's website.
	The latest model funding agreement allows the Secretary of State for Education to give seven years' notice of his intention to terminate the funding agreement. He can also terminate it:
	following the issue of a termination warning notice for example, on the grounds of unacceptable standards or a breakdown in governance or management;
	following a 'special measures' or 'requires significant improvement' judgment from Ofsted;
	if the academy is struck off the register of independent schools;
	in the case of insolvency (or serious risk of insolvency); or
	where there has been a change of control of the academy trust or the legal entity that controls it and he is not satisfied that the new person is suitable.

Academies: Finance

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the findings of the National Audit Office report, Managing the expansion of the Academies Programme, published in November 2012, if he will publish more detailed financial data for academies and free schools including (a) data that allows fuller comparison between academies and maintained schools and (b) fuller academy-level financial data.

David Laws: In July 2012, the Department for Education published academies' spend data at a per-pupil level for the first time. It is continuing to make it as directly comparable as it can. There are areas where data will not be directly comparable, such as where an academy receives funding for services which are provided free to maintained schools by the local authority.
	The audited financial statements prepared by academy trusts presently contain high level financial information on individual academies within multi academy trusts. The Education Funding Agency will consider how more financial information about individual academies can be made easily accessible and will be setting out the arrangements for providing additional academy level information as part of the accounting arrangements for 2012/13.

Children: Day Care

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  which childcare settings each of his Ministers have visited in an official capacity since May 2010;
	(2)  which Sure Start children's centres each of his Ministers have visited in an official capacity since May 2010.

Elizabeth Truss: The following tables shows Ministers’ official visits to childcare settings in England including to children's centres (Sure Start children's centres) since May 2010.
	
		
			 Children's centre Location Minister 
			 Marsham Street Children's Centre Westminster, London NickGibb 
			 Lemon Tree Children's Centre North Bransholme, Hull Sarah Teather 
			 Little Stars Children's Centre East Hull Sarah Teather 
			 Chapeltown Children's Centre Chapeltown, Leeds Elizabeth Truss 
			 Loughborough Children's Centre Brixton Elizabeth Truss 
		
	
	
		
			 Stonegrove Children's Centre Edgeware Edward Timpson 
			 Beaumont Leys Children's Centre Leicester Sarah Teather 
			 Bligh Sure Start Children's Centre Rochester Sarah Teather 
			 Clayton Sure Start Children's Centre Clayton, Manchester Sarah Teather 
		
	
	
		
			 Other childcare provision Location Minister 
			 Durand Academy Early Years Centre (On two separate occasions) Stockwell, London Elizabeth Truss 
			 Parkview Day Nursery Leicester Sarah Teather 
			 Church Street Nursery London Sarah Teather 
			 Marsham Street Community Nursery Westminster, London Elizabeth Truss 
			 Early Years Childcare Nursery Worthing Tim Loughton 
			 Greengables Nursery Sandhurst, Berkshire Tim Loughton 
			 Abbots Manor Community Nursery London Nick Gibb 
			 Pimlico Academy—breakfast club and out of hours provision Pimlico, London Elizabeth Truss 
			 Norwich Free School—out of hours provision Norwich Elizabeth Truss

Children: Internet

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to his Department's response to the consultation on parental internet controls, published in December 2012, what progress the Government has made in identifying and defining those children who are most at risk from accessing explicit internet material.

Edward Timpson: The UK Council for Child Internet Safety Evidence Group has been looking at vulnerable groups since January 2012, when it produced a paper “Identifying Vulnerable Children Online And What Strategies Can Help Them”. The group is now building on this work to develop a holistic model for predicting risk and vulnerability, and to develop professional guidance for timely interventions to prevent harm to children online.

Children: Poverty

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education in what form responses to the Government's consultation on Measuring Child Poverty will be published.

David Laws: The consultation on better measures of child poverty closed on 15 February and a large volume of responses was received.
	All responses will be read and analysed to ensure that all important points are captured and used to help Ministers decide on the next steps. The Government has not decided in what form its response will be published, but any response will be available on the Department's website.

Children’s Centres

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children's centres there were in each local authority in May 2010; and how many there will be in May 2013.

Elizabeth Truss: The following table shows the breakdown of children's centre numbers by local authority at April 2010. The table is based on information supplied by the local authorities.
	Local authorities continue to review, consult and reorganise their children's centre provision. The number of children's centres in May 2013 will be affected by those local decisions and is not something my Department would predict.
	
		
			 Region Local authority Number of designated children’s centres at 30 April 2010 
			 LON Barking and Dagenham 18 
			 LON Barnet 20 
			 YH Barnsley 19 
			 SW Bath and North East Somerset 11 
			 EE Bedford Borough 15 
			 LON Bexley 16 
			 WM Birmingham 75 
			 NW Blackburn with Darwen 13 
			 NW Blackpool 13 
			 NW Bolton 18 
			 SW Bournemouth 9 
			 SE Bracknell Forest 8 
			 YH Bradford 41 
			 LON Brent 19 
			 SE Brighton and Hove 15 
			 SW Bristol, City of 31 
			 LON Bromley 18 
			 SE Buckinghamshire 35 
			 NW Bury 14 
			 YH Calderdale 16 
			 EE Cambridgeshire 40 
			 LON Camden 17 
			 EE Central Bedfordshire 22 
			 NW Cheshire East 19 
			 NW Cheshire West and Chester 20 
			 LON City of London 1 
			 SW Cornwall 40 
			 WM Coventry 23 
			 LON Croydon 26 
			 NW Cumbria 28 
			 NE Darlington 7 
			 EM Derby, City of 18 
			 EM Derbyshire 54 
			 SW Devon 43 
			 YH Doncaster 21 
			 SW Dorset 23 
			 WM Dudley 20 
			 NE Durham 43 
			 LON Ealing 28 
			 YH East Riding of Yorkshire 20 
			 SE East Sussex 35 
			 LON Enfield 24 
			 EE Essex 85 
			 NE Gateshead 15 
			 SW Gloucestershire 39 
			 LON*** Greenwich 24 
			 LON Hackney 20 
			 NW Halton 8 
			 LON Hammersmith and Fulham 15 
			 SE Hampshire 81 
			 LON Haringey 19 
			 LON Harrow 16 
			 NE Hartlepool 8 
		
	
	
		
			 LON Havering 14 
			 WM Herefordshire 12 
			 EE Hertfordshire 82 
			 LON Hillingdon 17 
			 LON Hounslow 18 
			 SE Isle of Wight 8 
			 SW Isles of Scilly 1 
			 LON Islington 16 
			 LON Kensington and Chelsea 8 
			 SE Kent 96 
			 YH Kingston upon Hull, City of 20 
			 LON Kingston upon Thames 11 
			 YH Kirklees 32 
			 NW Knowsley 15 
			 LON Lambeth 29 
			 NW Lancashire 79 
			 YH Leeds 58 
			 EM Leicester, City of 23 
			 EM Leicestershire 41 
			 LON Lewisham 19 
			 EM Lincolnshire 48 
			 NW Liverpool 26 
			 EE Luton 23 
			 NW Manchester 40 
			 SE Medway 19 
			 LON Merton 11 
			 NE Middlesbrough 13 
			 SE Milton Keynes 20 
			 YH NE Lincolnshire 14 
			 NE Newcastle upon Tyne 18 
			 LON Newham 20 
			 EE Norfolk 54 
			 YH North Lincolnshire 12 
			 SW North Somerset 14 
			 NE North Tyneside 12 
			 YH North Yorkshire 37 
			 EM Northamptonshire 50 
			 NE Northumberland 20 
			 EM Nottingham, City of 18 
			 EM Nottinghamshire 58 
			 NW Oldham 16 
			 SE Oxfordshire 45 
			 EE Peterborough, City of 15 
			 SW Plymouth, City of 17 
			 SW Poole 8 
			 SE Portsmouth 16 
			 SE Reading 13 
			 LON Redbridge 22 
			 NE Redcar and Cleveland. 12 
			 LON Richmond upon Thames 10 
			 NW Rochdale 16 
			 YH Rotherham 22 
			 EM Rutland 2 
			 NW Salford 16 
			 WM Sandwell 21 
			 NW Sefton 15 
			 YH Sheffield 36 
			 WM Shropshire 18 
			 SE Slough 10 
			 WM Solihull 14 
			 SW Somerset 41 
			 SW South Gloucestershire 15 
			 NE South Tyneside 12 
		
	
	
		
			 SE Southampton 14 
			 EE Southend on Sea 14 
			 LON Southwark 21 
			 NW St Helens 12 
			 WM Staffordshire 54 
			 NW Stockport 19 
			 NE Stockton on Tees 11 
			 WM Stoke on Trent 16 
			 EE Suffolk 48 
			 NE Sunderland 17 
			 SE Surrey 69 
			 LON Sutton 14 
			 SW Swindon 14 
			 NW Tameside 17 
			 WM Telford and Wrekin 13 
			 EE Thurrock 15 
			 SW Torbay 7 
			 LON Tower Hamlets 23 
			 NW Trafford 16 
			 YH Wakefield 23 
			 WM Walsall 18 
			 LON Waltham Forest 17 
			 LON Wandsworth 23 
			 NW Warrington 12 
			 WM Warwickshire 39 
			 SE West Berkshire 10 
			 SE West Sussex 49 
			 LON Westminster, City of 15 
			 NW Wigan 20 
			 SW Wiltshire 30 
			 SE Windsor and Maidenhead 10 
			 NW Wirral 16 
			 SE Wokingham 10 
			 WM Wolverhampton 18 
			 WM Worcestershire 34 
			 YH York, City of 9 
			  Total Number of CCs 3,631

Cwmcarn School

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2012, Official Report, column 590W, what steps he plans to take following the publication of the Health and Safety Executive's report into asbestos at Cwmcarn high school in Wales.

David Laws: holding answer 27 February 2013
	The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has recently concluded its investigation into the asbestos related incident at Cwmcarn High School in Wales and wrote to the school governors and local authority with its findings on 26 February.
	The HSE investigation concluded that there are appropriate asbestos management arrangements in place at the school as required under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and that no enforcement action is required.
	As part of the investigation, the HSE asked the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) to conduct asbestos testing at Cwmcarn High School. The main aim of the HSL sampling and analysis at the school was to measure the release and transfer of airborne asbestos fibres into the classrooms. The report by HSL has also been provided to the school governors and the local authority and states that the sampling and analytical analysis carried out by HSL showed that there is no evidence for a quantifiable transfer of asbestos fibres from the ceiling void into the classrooms.
	The Department for Education has noted the outcome of the HSE investigation and HSL testing at Cwmcarn and has decided that no further action is required at this stage in response to this specific case.
	The Department continues to take the issue of managing asbestos in our schools very seriously and is pro-active in promoting good asbestos management in schools. It has published on-line guidance on managing the risks of asbestos, has established the Asbestos in Schools Steering Group to promote and raise awareness of asbestos management requirements and has asked the Committee on Carcinogenicity to consider and report upon the relative vulnerability of children to asbestos compared with adults. Alongside this, the Department liaises as necessary with the HSE as it is the lead regulator and enforces the duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises such as schools.

GCE AS-level

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effect of the establishment of AS levels as a stand-alone qualification on the ability of universities to consider applicant potential.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 4 March 2013
	We know that universities use a range of information and evidence about applicants for admissions purposes. Even within individual universities, there may be a variety of approaches between subjects. Changes to the AS and A-levels mean that some universities may need to make changes to admissions processes. However, Ofqual's consultation on A-level reform found that for many universities, the removal of AS would not have a major impact on selection processes.

GCE AS-level

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effect of the establishment of AS levels as a stand-alone qualification on the take-up of each subject currently taught to AS level.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 4 March 2013
	The AS will be retained as a standalone qualification to offer breadth. It is for schools to determine the number and range of AS qualifications they offer based on their own school's circumstances and the needs of their pupils.

GCE AS-level

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received from university bodies which support the establishment of AS levels as a stand-alone qualification.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 4 March 2013
	I have discussed our plans for A level reform with a wide range of organisations and individuals, including the Russell Group and Universities UK. These discussions and Ofqual's consultation showed widespread support for the AS level, so we are retaining it as a standalone qualification to support breadth.

GCE AS-level

Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposed establishment of AS levels as a stand-alone qualification on take-up of each subject at AS level.

Elizabeth Truss: The AS will be retained as a standalone qualification to offer breadth. It is for schools to determine the number and range of AS qualifications they offer, based on their own school's circumstances and the needs of their pupils.

GCSE

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the (a) average uncapped GCSE points score of pupils eligible for free school meals, (b) proportion of children eligible for free school meals who attained at least five GCSEs at grade C or above, including English and mathematics and (c) proportion of all children who attained at least five GCSEs at grade C or above, including English and mathematics in (i) London Challenge schools, (iii) City Challenge schools and (iii) all maintained secondary schools was in each year since the start of the London Challenge programme.

David Laws: The requested information for the academic years 2007/08 to 2011/12 is given in the table. Information for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 Average uncapped GCSE point score and percentage of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 achieving 5 or more GCSEs at grade A*-C or equivalent including English and mathematics GCSEs(1) of pupils in London Challenge Schools(2), City Challenge Schools(3) and all state-funded secondary schools(4) by Free School Meal (FSM) eligibility. Years: 2007/08 to 2011/12 (revised)(5). Coverage: England(6) 
			  Pupils eligible for FSM All pupils(7) 
			 School type Number of eligible pupils(8) Average uncapped GCSE point score per pupil(9) Percentage achieving 5+ A*-C grades inc. English and mathematics GCSEs Number of eligible pupils(8) Percentage achieving 5+ A*-C grades inc. English and mathematics GCSEs 
			 London Challenge schools(2):      
			 2007/08 16,111 337.7 34.5 74,710 50.7 
			 2008/09 16,157 369.2 37.8 73,721 54.0 
			 2009/10 16,518 401.7 43.2 74,253 58.0 
			 2010/11 16,928 417.1 47.3 74,229 61.9 
			 2011/12 17,116 428.8 48.9 74,541 62.3 
			       
			 City Challenge schools(3):      
			 2007/08 8,430 301.7 22.0 48,075 44.2 
		
	
	
		
			 2008/09 8,270 333.4 24.7 45,403 47.2 
			 2009/10 8,187 377.3 30.5 44,600 53.3 
			 2010/11 8,159 402.1 34.8 43,611 57.3 
			 2011/12 8,152 410.7 36.0 43,227 58.3 
			       
			 All state-funded secondary schools(4):      
			 2007/08 74,360 303.7 24.0 595,806 48.4 
			 2008/09 74,035 336.0 26.7 576,420 50.9 
			 2009/10 76,949 372.3 31.4 575,970 55.3 
			 2010/11 78,796 394.3 34.7 564,863 58.4 
			 2011/12 79,788 405.5 36.4 559,093 59.0 
			 (1) Full GCSEs only have been included (full GCSEs, double awards, accredited international certificates and their predecessor iGCSEs and AS-levels). Figures from 2007/08 to 2008/09 exclude iGCSEs, 2009/10 figures onwards include accredited iGCSEs. (2) London Challenge schools include all inner and outer London state-funded schools (including academies and CTCs). (3) City Challenge schools include all state-funded schools (including Academies and CTCs) within the local authorities of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton in the 'Black Country' and Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan in 'Greater Manchester'. (4) Includes all England state-funded schools (including academies and CTCs) (5) Figures for 2007/08 to 2010/11 are based on final data, 2011/12 figures are based on revised data. (6) The figures in this table do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. (7) Includes pupils for whom free school meal eligibility could not be determined. (8) Pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in each academic year. (9) Total uncapped point score from GCSE and equivalents divided by the number of eligible pupils. Source: National Pupil Database (2007/08 to 2010/11) and Key Stage 4 attainment data (2011/12).

Physical Education

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure that children receive adequate instruction at school on how to maintain and improve physical fitness;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure that children are given adequate physical fitness tests at school;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to ensure that children are informed of the benefits of competitive sport at school.

Edward Timpson: We recently announced additional ring-fenced funding of £150 million per annum for academic years 2013/14 and 2014/15 to support the provision of Physical Education (PE) and sport in state primary schools in England.
	PE is currently compulsory in the National Curriculum at all four Key Stages and will remain so after the current review. A draft programme of study for PE was published for consultation in February 2013. This makes clear that a high-quality physical education curriculum should provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness. We do not prescribe specific measures to help to achieve this as we believe that individual schools and teachers are best placed to address the particular needs of their pupils.
	The draft programme of study also reflects our belief that opportunities to compete in sport and other activities build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect, and it places far greater emphasis on the importance of competitive sport within and between schools.
	The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), and Her Majesty's chief inspector have agreed that for all primary schools Ofsted inspectors will consider how well the school uses its additional funding to improve the quality and breadth of its PE and sporting provision.

Primary Education: Class Sizes

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils aged five, six or seven have been taught in classes of 30 or more in each local education authority area in each year since 2010; and if he will make a statement.

David Laws: The number of pupils in state-funded mainstream primary schools in England, including information on class sizes, is published as part of the Statistical First Release 'Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2012'. This is available on the Department's website
	(1)
	.
	The number and proportion of pupils in school years 1, 2 and 3 taught in class sizes of 31 or more in each local authority area in England have been placed in the House Libraries.
	(1) http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/a00209478/

Pupils: Disadvantaged

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department has given consideration to using parental educational attainment as the basis for the allocation of the pupil premium rather than free school meals.

David Laws: The Pupil Premium is allocated to schools at the rate of £900 for each child who is either known to have been eligible for free school meals (FSM) at any time during the past six years (known as the "Ever6 basis"), or who has been looked after continuously in public care for more than six months during the year. The total annual investment in this priority for the Government will rise to £2.5 billion in 2014-15.
	The Government consulted in June 2010 on the appropriate allocation methodology for the Pupil Premium, and we published our conclusions before the 2011-12 financial year. In that year, Pupil Premium was allocated on the basis of current eligibility for FSM; the Ever6 basis was then introduced from 2012-13. Our report, published on 13 December 2010 following the consultation, set out our rationale. We consulted on the merits of different indicators as a basis for the distribution of the Pupil Premium, and FSM was chosen because it is the only pupil-based indicator nationally available.
	The link between FSM eligibility, both current and recent, and under-achievement is very strong, and there is overwhelming evidence that pupils eligible for FSM generally have lower educational attainment outcomes than their peers. While there is also a strong link between other characteristics and under-achievement, such as parental educational attainment, a school's ability to identify eligible pupils easily and objectively using a nationally recognised measure is very important in enabling them to claim the necessary funding and to deliver the educational interventions that their pupils require. FSM based measures fulfil these criteria more closely than other approaches.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the (a) national and (b) regional average spend on pupils is in (i) England and (ii) Barnsley Central constituency.

David Laws: holding answer 23 January 2013
	Figures are not available for the parliamentary constituency of Barnsley Central as data is collected at a local authority level. The available information for 2010-11 on the national and local revenue expenditure on pupils in England and Barnsley local authority is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Primary education Secondary education Special schools Total (excluding pre-primary) 
			 England 4,040 5,250 21,170 4,760 
			 Barnsley LA 4,150 5,020 19,110 4,620

Schools: Finance

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the value is of the successful grants given by the Education Endowment Fund to date; and if he will place in the Library a complete list of all bids made and successful recipients.

David Laws: The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is an independent grant making charity established in 2011. The main aims of the EEF are to raise the attainment of children facing disadvantage by:
	identifying promising educational innovations that address the needs of disadvantaged children in primary and secondary schools in England;
	evaluating these innovations to extend and secure the evidence on what works and can be made to work at scale;
	encouraging schools, government, charities, and others to apply evidence and adopt innovations found to be effective.
	The Department entered a Grant Funding Agreement which established the EEF for a minimum often years, with a single initial grant of £125 million so far. The charity has funded 56 successful projects, including eight new projects announced in March 2013, at a value of £28.7 million covering both primary and secondary schools. So far over 1,800 schools and 300,000 pupils have been involved in projects funded by the EEF. The knowledge gained from these projects will be shared with all schools.
	The successful grants and their individual and total value are shown in the following table. The Department does not maintain records of any unsuccessful bids.
	
		
			  £ 
			 Durham University 766,945 
			 ARK 774,000 
			 Future Foundations 930,339 
			 Tutor Trust 263,000 
			 PATHS 90,000 
			 Bristol University 1,600,184 
			 Campaign for Learning 550,154 
			 Challenge Partners 961,778 
			 Hampshire County Council 141,000 
			 The Schools Network 396,750 
			 Anglican School Partnership 110,760 
			 Catch Up 184,900 
			 University College London 736,546 
			 Oxford Trust 270,750 
			 Plymouth Parent Partnership 1,022,471 
			 Portsmouth University 368,460 
			 Sapere 304,000 
			 SHINE Trust 510,175 
			 Achieve Together 1,800,192 
			 The Learning Trust 310,237 
			 Creative futures 415,000 
			 How to Thrive 687,000 
			 Innovation Unit 906,000 
			 Primary Writing Project 121,000 
			 School21 382,000 
			 Success for All 1,410,000 
			 Book Trust 218,414 
			 Calderdale Excellence Partnership 395,850 
			 Catch Up 424,626 
			 Coventry University 397,314 
			 Discover 240,652 
			 Dyslexia Action 390,206 
			 Real Action 457,980 
			 SHINE Trust 455,800 
			 Success for All (Quest) 726,112 
			 North Tyneside Council 520,064 
			 Unitas 480,953 
			 University College London 525,000 
			 University of Exeter 338,752 
			 CUREE 550,347 
			 Bolton Council 393,570 
			 Norfolk Council 148,217 
			 Adamsrill Primary School 78,755 
			 Nottingham Council 70,575 
			 Perry Beeches 306,000 
			 Greenford High School 148,110 
			 Fresh Start Aggregated Trial 353,065 
			 Thornaby Academy 146,880 
			 Chess in Schools and Communities 689,150 
			 The Communications Trust 967,780 
			 The Curriculum Centre 147,848 
			 Edge Hill University 543,425 
			 Oxford University 489,471 
			 Let's Think Forum 639,485 
			 Private Equity Foundation 254,624 
			 Catch 22 596,087 
			  28,708,753

Schools: Inspections

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools have requested an Ofsted inspection since Quarter 3 2011.

David Laws: This question is a matter for Ofsted. HM chief inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has written to the hon. Member, and a copy of his response has been placed in the House Libraries.
	Letter from Sir Michael Wilshaw, dated 15 April 2013
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief inspector, for reply.
	Since 1 October 2011, Ofsted has received 24 requests for an inspection from schools.
	The Education Act 2011 provides Her Majesty's Chief Inspector (HMCI) with a power to charge for the cost of a school inspection in response to a request from ‘the appropriate authority’ of a school, and where HMCI is not required to inspect the school routinely. This power took effect from February 2012. No school has yet been charged for the cost of an inspection under these provisions.

Schools: Pendle

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment his Department has made of the level of literacy and numeracy of (a) primary and (b) secondary school leavers in Pendle constituency in each of the last five years.

David Laws: The information requested is provided in the following tables.
	
		
			 Primary school leavers. Achievements at the expected level(1) by pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 in Pendle parliamentary constituency(2). Years: 2008-12(3). Coverage: Pendle constituency(4) 
			 Percentage of KS2 pupils achieving expected level in 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012(5) 
			 English 78 74 * 76 81 
			 Maths 74 74 * 72 80 
			 * = Figures have been suppressed as they are unrepresentative due to industrial action. (1) Includes pupils who achieved Level 4 or above. Level 4 is the expected level of achievement for pupils at the end of Key Stage 2. (2) Parliamentary constituency figures are based on the postcode of the school. (3) Data is final data for academic years 2008 to 2011, 2012 is based on revised data. (4) Includes state-funded schools including academies. Figures do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. (5) In 2012, English was calculated from reading test results and writing teacher assessment rather than from reading and writing tests as in previous years. English in 2012 is, therefore, not comparable to previous years. Source: National Pupil Database 
		
	
	
		
			 Secondary school leavers. Percentage of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 achieving A*-C grades in English and mathematics GCSEs(1) in Pendle constituency(2). Years: 2007/08 to 2011/12(3). Coverage: Pendle constituency(4) 
			 Percentage of KS4 pupils achieving an A*-C grade in 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 
			 English 51.1 51.8 57.7 64.1 56.2 
			 Maths 48.9 48.6 55.1 57.2 62.5 
			 (1) Full GCSEs only have been included (full GCSEs, double awards, accredited international certificates and their predecessor iGCSEs and AS-levels). Figures from 2007/08 to 2008/09 exclude iGCSEs, 2009/10 figures onwards include accredited iGCSEs. (2) Parliamentary constituency figures are based on the postcode of the school. (3 )Data is final data for academic years 2007/08 to 2010/11, 2011/12 is based on revised data. (4) Includes state-funded schools including academies. Figures do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. Source: National Pupil Database (2007/08 to 2010/11) and Key Stage 4 attainment data (2011/12)

Schools: Standards

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils attend schools that have been judged by Ofsted to be inadequate or requiring improvement by local authority.

David Laws: This question is a matter for Ofsted. HM chief inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has written to the hon. Member, and a copy of his response has been placed in the House Libraries.
	Letter from Lorraine Langham, dated 22 April 2013
	Your recent Parliamentary Question has been passed to Ofsted for response. I am replying on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector.
	Since 2005, maintained school inspections have been carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 and, more recently, the Education Act 2011. Under section 5, Ofsted inspects maintained schools .(nursery, primary, secondary and special schools and pupil referral units), state-funded independent schools such as academies and certain non-maintained special schools in England.
	The number and proportion of pupils attending schools inspected at 31 December 2012 that have been judged as 'satisfactory / requires improvement' or 'inadequate', by local authority, have been provided in table 1. The 'requires improvement' judgement was introduced in September 2012, replacing 'satisfactory'. For completeness, the number and proportion of pupils at schools judged to be 'outstanding' or 'good', by local authority, are also provided.

Schools: Transport

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many education providers were consulted before the Guidance on home to school travel and transport was published in March 2013.

David Laws: A working group of four local authority home-to-school transport practitioners and two road safety policy officials from the Department of Transport were consulted on the appeals element of the guidance. The local authority practitioners represented the Rural Access to Learning Group, the Association of Transport Co-ordinating Officers, and Road Safety GB.

Schools: Transport

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect of his Department's Guidance on home to school travel and transport published in March 2013 on schools with larger catchment areas;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect of his Department's Guidance on home to school travel and transport published in March 2013 on schools in areas of sparse population density;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the effect of his Department's Guidance on home to school travel and transport published in March 2013 on schools of a religious character.

David Laws: The revised statutory guidance published in March 2013 is designed to reflect the Government's commitment to reducing bureaucracy, and to allow local authorities to reach their own solutions to local issues, following the usual practice of consulting with schools and interested parties, without the burden of overly prescriptive guidance.
	The guidance provides a summary of the statutory obligations placed upon local authorities, none of which have changed since the revisions introduced by the Education and Inspections Act 2006. Given that the regulations have not changed it is not our intention to carry out an impact assessment.

Sixth Form Education

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) schools and (b) academies have opened new sixth form provision in each of the last three years; and how many such sixth forms were graded (i) inadequate or (ii) satisfactory by Ofsted at their last inspection.

David Laws: holding answer 26 March 2013
	The Department for Education through the Education Funding Agency (EFA) has funded new sixth forms at schools and academies over the last two years as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2011/12  
			 New school sixth forms 24 
			 New academy sixth forms 33 
			   
			 2012/13  
			 New school sixth forms 19 
			 New Academy sixth forms 18 
		
	
	The EFA does not have records of new academies' sixth forms prior to 2011.
	Of these 94 schools and academies with new sixth forms, Ofsted have recorded 60 inspections since September 2011(1). Inspections taking place after January 2012 do not include a separate grade for school and academy sixth forms but do include commentary in the body of the inspection report.
	The Ofsted judgments of the overall effectiveness of these schools and academies, and the separate commentary about their sixth forms (where made) are set out in the following table:
	(1) See Ofsted website:
	http://www.Ofsted.gov.uk/resources/official-statistics-maintained-school-inspections-and-outcomes
	
		
			  Overall Ofsted school/academy inspection judgment Sixth form commentary (where made) 
			 Outstanding 11 Outstanding—6 
			   Good—1 
			   No commentary—4 
			    
			 Good 18 Good—9 
			   No commentary—9 
			    
			 Requires improvement/satisfactory 18 Good—4 
			   Requires improvement/satisfactory—6 
			   No commentary—8 
		
	
	
		
			 Inadequate 6 Good—1 
			   Requires improvement/satisfactory—2 
			   No commentary—3 
			    
			 Total (1)53 53 
			 (1) Seven academies received a 'monitoring inspection' as part of an 'academy initiative'—this resulted in a letter and no grades were given.

Teachers: Qualifications

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many teachers in secondary schools are teaching subjects in which they do not have a (a) degree, (b) A-Level and (c) O-Level/GCSE at C or above.

David Laws: The latest information on the proportion of secondary school teachers teaching subjects in which they do not have a degree or higher is shown in the following table, which is table 13 of the “School Workforce in England: November 2011” statistical first release.(1)
	Information on how many secondary school teachers do not have 'A' or 'O' levels in the subject they teach is not collected centrally.
	(1 )Available at the following link:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/recentreleases/a00205723/school-workforce-in-england-provisional-nov-2011
	
		
			 Highest post A-level qualifications(1, 2) held by publicly funded secondary school teachers (head count) in the subjects(3) they taught to year groups 7 to 13 in 2011, November 2011, England 
			  Highest level of qualification(1) held in a relevant subject(3, 4) 
			  Degree or higher(5) Bachelor of Education Postgraduate Certificate of Education Other qualification(6) Any relevant post a-level qualification No relevant post a-level qualification Total head count 
			 Subject(3) % ± CI(7) % ± CI(7) % ± CI(7) % ± CI(7) % % Thousands 
			 Mathematics 45.4 ± 0.8 7.1 ± 0.4 18.2 ± 0.6 2.2 ± 0.2 72.9 27.1 35.2 
			 English 63.1 ± 0.7 4.5 ± 0.3 9.1 ± 0.4 1.7 ± 0.2 78.3 21.7 38.8 
			                 
			 Physics(8) 56.1 ± 1.9 3.0 ± 0.7 6.3 ± 1.0 0.8 ± 0.3 66.3 33.7 5.9 
			 Chemistry(8) 65.8 ± 1.6 2.4 ± 0.5 6.2 ± 0.8 0.6 ± 0.3 75.0 25.0 6.9 
		
	
	
		
			 Biology(8) 76.0 ± 1.2 3.8 ± 0.5 5.7 ± 0.7 0.8 ± 0.3 86.3 13.7 8.5 
			 Combined/General science(8) 80.4 ± 0.6 4.8 ± 0.3 4.9 ± 0.3 1.3 ± 0.2 91.4 8.6 34.7 
			 Other Sciences(8) 77.7 ± 2.1 3.5 ± 0.9 4.4 ± 1.0 1.4 ± 0.6 87.0 13.0 2.8 
			                 
			 History 61.7 ± 1.1 3.1 ± 0.4 6.6 ± 0.6 0.9 ± 0.2 72.3 27.7 16.6 
			 Geography 57.4 ± 1.2 3.3 ± 0.4 5.9 ± 0.6 1.0 ± 0.2 67.5 32.5 14.9 
			                 
			 French 51.3 ± 1.2 4.1 ± 0.5 16.7 ± 0.9 1.3 ± 0.3 73.4 26.6 15.3 
			 German 52.4 ± 2.0 2.1 ± 0.6 10.7 ± 1.3 1.0 ± 0.4 66.2 33.8 5.5 
			 Spanish 33.6 ± 2.1 1.6 ± 0.6 10.6 ± 1.4 1.0 ± 0.5 46.9 53.1 6.8 
			 Other Modern Languages 25.0 ± 3.3 0.4 ± 0.5 7.7 ± 2.0 1.0 ± 0.8 34.0 66.0 3.3 
			                 
			 Design and technology(9) 51.8 ± 1.1 14.8 ± 0.8 9.6 ± 0.7 5.4 ± 0.5 81.6 18.4 14.8 
			 Electronics/Systems and Control(9) 55.5 ± 3.6 16.6 ± 2.7 7.9 ± 2.0 3.3 ± 1.3 83.3 16.7 1.3 
			 Food Technology(9) 42.5 ± 2.0 16.3 ± 1.5 9.6 ± 1.2 8.0 ± 1.1 76.4 23.6 5.3 
			 Graphics(9) 59.5 ± 2.1 14.1 ± 1.5 10.5 ± 1.3 3.0 ± 0.7 87.1 12.9 3.9 
			 Resistant Materials(9) 56.6 ± 1.9 16.4 ± 1.5 10.0 ± 1.2 4.5 ± 0.8 87.5 12.5 4.5 
			 Textiles(9) 58.6 ± 2.3 10.3 ± 1.4 9.0 ± 1.4 4.9 ± 1.0 82.8 17.2 3.3 
			 Other/Combined Technology(9) 48.7 ± 1.1 13.9 ± 0.8 9.5 ± 0.6 4.6 ± 0.5 76.7 23.3 16.8 
			 Engineering 16.4 ± 5.2 0.9 ± 1.3 0.8 ± 1.2 1.0 ± 1.4 19.0 81.0 1.6 
			 ICT(10) 26.4 ± 1.3 2.0 ± 0.4 8.9 ± 0.8 0.6 ± 0.2 37.9 62.1 18.6 
			                 
			 Business/Economics 51.8 ± 1.5 4.8 ± 0.6 4.6 ± 0.6 1.1 ± 0.3 62.2 37.8 11.1 
			 Religious Education(11) 33.0 ± 1.4 3.1 ± 0.5 7.6 ± 0.8 1.0 ± 0.3 44.7 55.3 16.5 
			                 
			 Music 73.3 ± 1.4 4.9 ± 0.7 4.6 ± 0.6 2.1 ± 0.4 84.9 15.1 8.0 
			 Drama 39.2 ± 1.6 3.0 ± 0.6 6.0 ± 0.8 1.5 ± 0.4 49.7 50.3 11.6 
			 Art and design 70.1 ± 1.1 5.3 ± 0.5 7.8 ± 0.6 1.3 ± 0.3 84.5 15.5 13.9 
			 Media Studies 15.4 ± 2.5 0.7 ± 0.6 2.4 ± 1.1 0.3 ± 0.4 18.8 81.2 6.6 
			                 
			 Physical education 56.0 ± 0.8 15.7 ± 0.6 6.8 ± 0.4 1.5 ± 0.2 80.0 20.0 26.0 
		
	
	
		
			 Citizenship 3.9 ± 1.9 0.1 ± 0.3 2.4 ± 1.5 0.2 ± 0.4 6.5 93.5 10.0 
			 (1) Where a teacher has more than one post A level qualification in the same subject, the qualification level is determined by the highest level reading from left (degree or higher) to right (other qualification). For example, teachers shown under PGCE have a PGCE but not a Degree. (2) Not including qualifications in special educational needs provision. (3 )Teachers are counted once against each subject which they are teaching. Head counts are used, so a teacher teaching French and German would be counted once in each. (4 )A full list of what was deemed as a 'relevant' qualification subject for each curriculum subject taught can be found in the SFR home page, November 2010 at http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000997/index.shtml (5 )Includes Doctorates and other Level 8 qualifications, Masters and other Level 7 qualifications (e.g. Post Graduate certificates and diplomas), first degrees (excluding BEds) and other level 6 qualifications (e.g. graduate certificates and diplomas). (6 )Includes Certificate of Education, non-UK qualifications where the level was not provided and other qualification at National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level 4 or 5 and above e.g. diplomas or higher education and further education, foundation degrees, higher national diplomas and certificates of higher education. (7) Confidence intervals have been calculated around the proportions as not all schools were able to submit curriculum information, and not all qualifications returns were complete. Qualifications information was either not provided, or the subject field was missing for 12% of the teachers in schools submitting curriculum data. The confidence intervals show the statistical accuracy for the data, and give a range within which we can be reasonably sure (95% certain) that the true value actually lies. (8)Teachers qualified in biology, chemistry, or physics are treated as qualified to teach both combined/general science and other science. (9 )Teachers qualified in each of the specialist design & technology subjects are treated as qualified to teach other/combined design & technology. (10 )Information & Communication Technology is abbreviated as ICT. (11 )Includes philosophy. Notes: 1. Percentages are row percentages, and based on the number of teachers for whom curriculum and qualifications information was provided. 2. Numbers rounded to the nearest 100 and numbers below 50 are shown as nil or negligible. * = Not applicable. — = Nil or negligible. 3. Totals may not appear equal to the sum of the component parts because of rounding. Source: School Workforce Census

Teachers: Training

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many applicants there have been for Schools Direct places starting in September 2013; and how many such applicants have been accepted on to courses.

David Laws: holding answer 22 April 2013
	The National College for Teaching and Learning will be publishing data on how many applicants there have been for Schools Direct places starting in September 2013 shortly.

Energy Companies Obligation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of energy companies obligations contracts allocated by his Department have been allocated to (a) small businesses, (b) medium businesses and (c) large companies.

Michael Fallon: holding answer 22 April 2013
	The energy company obligation (ECO) places a carbon reduction obligation on the largest GB energy supply companies.
	What contracts energy companies enter into to deliver their ECO obligations is a commercial matter for them. DECC has no responsibility for the allocation of contracts under ECO.

Scotland

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what (a) external organisations and (b) individuals his Department engaged with as part of the Scotland Analysis programme; and what was discussed at each such meeting;
	(2)  how many members of his Department's staff have been allocated to work on the Scotland Analysis programme; and at what cost to the public purse;
	(3)  what meetings he or his officials have had with the right hon. Member for Edinburgh South West as part of the Scotland Analysis programme; and what was discussed at each such meeting;
	(4)  what work his Department has commissioned by external consultants in relation to work on the Scotland Analysis programme; which consultants were used; and at what cost to the public purse.

Gregory Barker: Department of Energy and Climate Change Ministers and officials engage with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Inevitably devolved issues and the Scottish Independence debate are addressed in many of these meetings. Meetings held or attended by DECC Ministers are routinely published on gov.uk:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-energy-climate-change/series/ministers-meeting-with-external-organisations
	No meetings have taken place with the right hon. Member for Edinburgh South West as part of the Scotland Analysis Programme and no external consultants have been commissioned by DECC to work on this programme.
	No staff in the DECC are working exclusively on the Scotland Analysis Programme which has been taken forward as part of the departments broader work on devolved issues (coordinated by a team of 2.5 FTEs). Any costs are being funded from existing departmental budgets in the normal way as part of the Department's ongoing policy programme.

Wind Power

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department keeps records of the (a) number and (b) location of all (i) current and (ii) planned onshore wind turbines in the UK.

Michael Fallon: Applications for onshore wind developments over 50 MW in England and Wales are considered by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey); the Department retains details of their location and scale.
	Applications for all other onshore wind developments (that require planning permission) are considered by local planning authorities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as the Scottish Government. DECC gathers and holds records of those onshore wind farms that are operational, consented and in the planning system. Details of all these UK onshore wind farms can be found on the Renewable Energy Planning database at:
	https://restats.decc.gov.uk/app/reporting/decc/monthlyextract
	DECC and Ofgem also record the numbers and location of schemes accredited under the Great Britain feed-in tariff (FiT) scheme. These will also include any smaller-scale developments that are not in the planning system. For schemes accredited on FiTs, DECC produces a summary table of the number of onshore wind installations by local authority and parliamentary constituency area at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/sub-regional-feed-in-tariffs-confirmed-on-the-cfr-statistics
	Similarly, there may be some schemes accredited on the renewables obligation (RO) that are not in the planning system; a list of RO accredited stations can be found at:
	https://www.renewablesandchp.ofgem.gov.uk/Public/ReportManager.aspx?ReportVisibility=1&ReportCategory=0

Wind Power

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has made projections of the proportion of renewable energy made up by onshore wind turbines in the UK.

Michael Fallon: The 2009 renewable energy directive sets a target for the UK to achieve 15% of its energy consumption for heat, electricity and transport from renewable sources by 2020.
	The renewable energy roadmap sets out the amount of onshore wind we anticipate will be deployed, based on operational capacity, and projects in the current pipeline. This is available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/68637/7382-uk-renewable-energy-roadmap-update.pdf

Wind Power

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what onshore wind energy generation capacity (a) was installed, (b) had gained planning consent and (c) was seeking planning permission on 1 April 2013. [R]

Michael Fallon: The Department operates the Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD) which tracks all renewable developments, including onshore wind, through the planning system
	https://restats.decc.gov.uk/app/reporting/decc/monthlyextract
	The REPD is updated monthly with the latest version being to the end of March.
	The figures from REPD show:
	
		
			  MW 
			 Operational 5747.28 
			 Under construction 2058.53 
			 Awaiting construction 5007.05 
			 Planning submitted 6148.74

Wind Power: Seas and Oceans

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what records his Department keeps of the (a) number and (b) location of all (i) current and (ii) planned offshore wind turbines in the UK.

Michael Fallon: The Department maintains the renewable energy planning database (REPD) that tracks all renewable energy projects, including offshore wind, through the planning system. This database provides, amongst other things, details on the installed capacity of the developments and actual site location:
	https://restats.decc.gov.uk/app/reporting/decc/monthlyextract
	The Crown Estate has published a number of maps showing the locations of current offshore wind farms and potential future offshore wind farms. These are publicly available and can be found at:
	http://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/energy-infrastructure/downloads/maps-and-gis-data/

10 Downing Street

Diane Abbott: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much 10 Downing Street spent on (a) cosmetics, (b) maintaining the Downing Street gardens and (c) pre-organised events and receptions in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011, (iii) 2012 and (iv) 2013 to date.

Francis Maude: There has been no expenditure on cosmetics. Spending on maintaining the Downing street gardens for 2009-10 and 2010-11 was agreed under the previous Administration. The figures are: £56,027 for 2009-10 and £49,060 for 2010-11. The cost of maintaining the gardens for 2011-12 was £47,321.
	Figures for 2012-13 will be available once the Cabinet Office accounts for that year have been published.
	Information on official and charity receptions held at 10 Downing street is published annually.
	The latest information can be found on the Cabinet Office website. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Conditions of Employment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were working (a) on full-time contracts, (b) on part-time contracts, (c) on zero-hour contracts and (d) in a self-employed capacity in each parliamentary constituency in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated April 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people were working (a) on full-time contracts, (b) on part-time contracts, (c) on zero-hour contracts and (d) in a self-employed capacity in each parliamentary constituency in each of the last five years. (152385)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles labour market statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS), following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. Estimates of the number of zero hour contracts are not available from this source.
	Due to small sample sizes estimates of the number of self-employed people in each constituency is also not available. As an alternative table 1 shows the number of people in self-employment for the UK and each region, according to APS survey responses during for the 12 month period ending December 2012, the latest available period, along with estimates for the 12 month periods ending in December for 2008 to 2011.
	Tables 2 and 3 show the number of people in full-time or part-time employment, according to APS survey responses, for each parliamentary constituency in Great Britain for the 12 month period ending December 2012, the latest available period, along with estimates for the 12 month periods ending in December for 2008 to 2011. Estimates for parliamentary constituencies in Northern Ireland are not available. As this data is quite extensive a copy has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in the tables. Due to the size of the tables, they will be stored in the library of the house.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Electronic Government

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the volume and success of phishing emails purporting to come from Government sites.

Chloe Smith: The Government takes cyber security extremely seriously which is why we are investing £650 million over four years to respond to threats from cyberspace and bolster the UK's cyber defences.
	We do not keep statistics centrally of how many phishing messages purport to come from Government sites. Millions are sent via the Internet every month. HMRC recently published an assessment of the number of new phishing websites set up at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2013/level-tax-playing-field.pdf
	Action Fraud, the UK's national fraud and internet crime reporting centre, has been' enhanced to provide. a reporting mechanism for online fraud including phishing. In addition, the Government supports initiatives such as Get safe Online:
	www.getsafeonline.org
	to provide information and advice to people on how to avoid becoming a victim of phishing attacks.

Pay

Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what criteria are used in (a) his Department and (b) each public body for which he is responsible to determine which officials receive bonus payments.

Francis Maude: Since 2010-11 the Government has restricted performance related payments for senior civil servants to the top 25% of performers (from 65% in previous years), saving the taxpayer around £15 million.
	In my Department and the public bodies for which I am responsible, the criteria used to determine which officials receive end of year bonus payments is based on annual individual performance following relative assessment against one's peers and drawing from the feedback of Ministers where appropriate.
	Individual officers within my Department and each public body are also eligible for in-year bonus payments which reward and recognise exceptional, significant or valuable achievements outside of an officer's agreed objectives.

Suicide

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people committed suicide in the UK in 2012.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated April 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people committed suicide in UK in 2012. (152947)
	Figures are only available for deaths registered by 31 December 2011. In 2011 there were 6,045 suicides registered in the UK.
	ONS reports suicide statistics using the number of deaths registered rather than deaths that occurred in each calendar year. In England and Wales all suicides are certified by a coroner following an inquest. The death cannot be registered until the inquest is completed, which can take many months or even years. ONS is not notified that a death has occurred until it is registered, unless the coroner adjourns an inquest while awaiting prosecution in a higher court. The latest statistical bulletin showed that the median registration delay for suicides was 158 days in England and Wales in 2011.
	In Northern Ireland all suicides are certified by a coroner, and cannot be registered until the coroner has completed an investigation. The median registration delay for suicides was 157 days in Northern Ireland in 2011.
	In Scotland a death must be registered within eight days. The Procurator Fiscal has a duty to investigate all sudden, suspicious, accidental, unexpected or unexplained deaths and any death occurring in circumstances that give rise to serious public concern, and a Fatal Accident Inquiry may follow. If the results of toxicological tests or a post mortem are not yet known, the cause of death can be given as "unascertained, pending investigations", and the actual cause of death will be entered at a later date. Therefore National Records of Scotland (NRS) receive notification of suicides more quickly than ONS. In 2011 the average registration delay for suicides in Scotland was just seven days, although the death may not have been registered as a suicide initially.
	Figures for suicides in the United Kingdom, England and Wales for deaths registered between 1981 and 2011 are published annually on the ONS website. The latest statistical bulletin also includes analysis of the impact of registration delays on UK suicide statistics:
	www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/all-releases.html?definition=tcm%3A77-29400
	Figures for suicides in Scotland for deaths registered between 1974 and 2011 are available from the General Register Office for Scotland's website:
	http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/theme/vital-events/deaths/suicides/index.html
	Figures for suicides in Northern Ireland for deaths registered between 1970 and 2011 are available from the Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency website:
	http://www.nisra.gov.uk/demography/default.asp31.htm

Travel

Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many officials in his (a) Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies travelled on (i) domestic and (ii) international flights in each of the last five years; in which class categories; at what total cost; and what the monetary value was of the 20 highest airfare charges in each such year;
	(2)  how many officials in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office travelled on (a) domestic and (b) international flights in each of the last five years; in which class categories; at what total cost; and what the monetary value was of the 20 highest airfare charges in each such year;
	(3)  how many officials in his (a) Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies stayed in hotels in (i) the UK and (ii) every other country during the last five years; at what total cost; and what the monetary value was of the 20 highest such hotel expenses in each such year;
	(4)  how many officials in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office stayed in hotels in (a) the UK and (b) every other country during the last five years; at what total cost; and what the monetary value was of the 20 highest such hotel expenses in each such year.

Francis Maude: To drive up efficiency this Government has established a new central contact for travel arrangements and an online booking system.
	As was the case under the previous Administration, officials may travel on departmental business. Those travelling on Government business should always consider the business case for their travel and work to minimise unnecessary expenditure.
	Since the general election, this Government has significantly increased the transparency around how it spends public money, including on travel. Details of overseas travel by all Ministers are published quarterly, alongside all spend by Departments over £25,000 and over £500 on Government Procurement Cards. We are exploring how we can extend our transparency arrangements to cover senior officials' travel.

Consultants

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department and its arm's length bodies has saved on (a) consultancy costs and (b) contingent labour since May 2010.

Brandon Lewis: My Department and its arm’s length bodies have made significant reductions to spending on consultancy costs and contingent labour, illustrating the scope for sensible savings in the public sector.
	
		
			 Consultancy costs 
			 £ million 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 DCLG Central 36.6 13.6 4.3 
			 Arm’s length bodies* 30.0 2.3 0.6 
			 Total 66.6 15.9 4.9 
			 * Methodological notes: 1. The figure for 2009-10 consultancy spending by arm’s length bodies is as given in the answer of 14 July 2010, Official Report, column 756W, in turn, which was based on the 2009-10 Public Sector Procurement Expenditure Survey. Spending from 2010-11 is based on general ledger basis, rather than the public sector procurement expenditure survey. 2. Subsequently, a number of these bodies have been abolished, and figures are not available for the period from 2010-11 up to their abolition. That said, abolished organisations are, of course, no longer spending taxpayers' money. 3. Overall, our arm’s length bodies reform is on track to deliver expected running costs of £231 million over the spending review period and since May 2010, 11 bodies have closed and two transferred to other Government Departments, up to the end of 2011-12. Of these administrative savings £173 million relate to bodies which have closed. In addition, the Government offices for the regions have also been abolished. 4. We received a nil return from the Building Regulations Advisory Committee. 
		
	
	For the core Department, the bulk of the 2010-11 spending on consultancy costs was contractually committed under the last Administration, including consultancy on the last Administration's failed FireControl programme.
	Contingent labour
	Contingent labour has been interpreted as temporary and agency staff; use of such staff for short-term or specialist work can be better value for money than hiring staff on permanent contracts.
	
		
			 £ million 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 DCLG Central 14.4 4.6 2.9 
			 Arm’s length bodies 19.3 8.3 8.1 
			 Total 33.7 12.9 11.0 
		
	
	The bulk of the arm’s length body spending is by the Audit Commission (£6.7 million in 2011-12), reflecting its outsourcing to external audit contractors.

Correspondence

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the references, dates and subject matters are of letters written by Ministers in his Department to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Yardley constituency since 1 February 2013.

Brandon Lewis: Since 1 February 2013, DCLG Ministers have written 10 letters to the hon. Member for Birmingham, .Yardley. References, dates and subject matters are in the following table:
	
		
			 DCLG Ref Your ref Letter date Subject 
			 ER/BL/003971/13 JAMH22777 11 February 2013 Normal pension age for firefighters 
			 ER/ER/005184/13 JAMH22811 25 February 2013 Unanswered parliamentary questions 
			 N/A N/A 28 February 2013 Social housing: Role of designated persons in complaints handling 
			 MP/002872/13 JAMH22709 6 March 2013 Rent increases 
			 N/A N/A 14 March 2013 High streets update 
		
	
	
		
			 2014 Elections N/A 26 March 2013 Proposals for moving the date of local elections to the same date as European parliamentary elections in 2014 
			 N/A N/A 27 March 2013 Revocation of the Regional Strategy for the West Midlands 
			 ER/BL/012354/13 JAMH23175 18 April 2013 Council tax 
			 N/A N/A 19 April 2013 Making it easier for families to improve their home 
			 T/BL/012055/13 JAMH23183 22 April 2013 JSA claimants entitlement to council tax support

Fire Services

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of chief fire officers opposed to proposals to permit the spinning out of fire brigades from fire authorities.

Brandon Lewis: The Government has made no such assessment. All decisions on service delivery are made by individual fire and rescue authorities. I have set out my position on supporting locally-led mutuals in my answer on 7 March 2013, Official Report, column 1121W.

High Street Review

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many of the actions recommended by the Portas Review have been taken forward by his Department.

Mark Prisk: The Mary Portas Review made 28 recommendations about what Government, local authorities, businesses and communities could each do to help high streets to be vibrant and successful. The Government published its response to the Portas Review on 30 March 2012, accepting 27 of the 28 recommendations. There are many success stories of how communities are now developing innovative solutions to develop their high streets. We published an update in our “Future of the High Street” on 25 March at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-future-of-high-streets
	In addition, I have established the Future High Streets Forum. The Forum brings together leaders across retail, property, business, academics, voluntary sector, civil society and Government to better understand the competition town centres across the country face and to drive forward new ideas and policies to help revive the high street. Full details of the Future High Street Forum can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/policy-advisory-groups/future-high-streets-forum

Homelessness

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent by his Department on preventing and tackling homelessness in each of the last five years.

Mark Prisk: The following table sets out the total amount of Homelessness Prevention Grant funding allocated to local authorities over the last five years.
	
		
			 Preventing homelessness funding 
			 Local authorities £ 
			 2009-10 51,434,870 
			 2010-11 52,257,370 
			 2011-12 81,500,000 
			 2012-13 81,500,000 
			 2013-14 80,000,000 
		
	
	The Homelessness Prevention Grant totals provided above are the baseline figures and exclude funding that has previously been rolled into the grant to cover local court desk provision and under occupancy and tenancy fraud and additional funding provided in year.
	On top of the baseline grant we provided an additional £32,180,342 over two years (2009-10 and 2010-11) to help authorities meet homelessness pressures in their area and in 2011-12, we provided an additional £18,620,000 for authorities to tackle single homelessness. More recently we invested an additional £1,700,000 over two years (2012-13 to 2013-14) in a new scheme to support local authorities to deliver a 'Gold Standard' homelessness prevention service.
	We have also provided £17,358,000 in 2009-10 and £19,000,002 in 2011-12 to help authorities prevent repossessions.
	We are also providing £42,500,000 capital funding under the Homelessness Change programme over three years (2011-12 to 2014-15) which falls under the Affordable Homes programme.
	From the 1 April 2012, affordable housing funding for London has been devolved to the Mayor of London. This includes £12,760,000 capital funding for the Homelessness Change programme.

Homelessness

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many people aged (a) between 16 and 24 and (b) over 24 in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the North East and (iv) the UK have been accepted as homeless in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many people in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) south Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK have been recorded as homeless in each of the last five years;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of homeless young people in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each of the last five years.

Mark Prisk: The following table shows the number of homelessness acceptances of households in England and by Gateshead and South Tyneside councils in each year from 2005, broken down by age category and by the two priority need categories that relate specifically to young people.
	
		
			 Number of households accepted(1) as owed a main homelessness duty during the year: 2005 to 2012 
			   By applicant's age  By priority need category 
			  Year Aged 16-24 Over 24 Total Applicant aged 16 or 17 years old Applicant formerly “in care”, and aged 18 to 20 years old 
			 England 2005 (2)— (2)— 100,170 8,040 930 
			  2006 31,230 45,630 76,860 5,980 760 
			  2007 26,200 38,770 64,970 4,580 630 
			  2008 23,030 34,480 57,510 3,710 610 
			  2009 16,690 25,100 41,780 2,490 510 
			  2010 15,480 26,920 42,390 1,660 550 
			  2011 17,050 31,460 48,510 1,370 690 
			  2012 17,220 36,230 53,450 1,110 700 
			 Gateshead 2005 (2)— (2)— (3)— (3)— (3)— 
			  2006   581 19 0 
			  2007 199 -462 661 14 3 
			  2008 151 369 520 7 1 
			  2009 117 256 373 5 2 
			  2010 77 202 279 1 6 
			  2011 46 116 162 0 0 
			  2012 49 173 222 0 0 
			 South Tyneside 2005 (2)— (2)— 309 21 2 
			  2006 123 156 279 14 0 
			  2007 103 150 253 7 0 
			  2008 81 133 214 2 0 
			  2009 53 123 176 2 0 
			  2010 74 143 217 1 0 
			  2011 94 229 323 6 2 
			  2012 113 198 311 2 2 
			 (1) Households eligible under homelessness legislation, found to be unintentionally homeless and in a priority need category, and consequently owed a main homelessness duty (2) Figures were not collected. (3) Not reported by the local authority. Source: DCLG P1E Homelessness returns (quarterly) 
		
	
	The Ministerial Working Group on Homelessness's second report ‘Making every contact count’, focuses on preventing homelessness and stresses the importance of supporting vulnerable young people to make a successful transition to adulthood. It champions a model of a 'positive youth accommodation pathway' for those who cannot stay within the family network or are leaving care and we are now working with authorities and voluntary sector organisations to promote the pathway. The report can be obtained from the Department's website at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/making-every-contact-count-a-joint-approach-to-preventing-homelessness
	We are investing £470 million over four years (2011-12 to 2014-15) on homelessness prevention and also invested an additional £1.7 million over two years (2012-13 to 2013-14) in a new scheme to support local authorities deliver a ‘Gold Standard’ homelessness prevention service to stem future increases in statutory homelessness and rough sleeping.

Housing

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how much has been top-sliced from local government funding in each region of the UK to fund the new homes bonus in each year since the scheme began; and how much has been returned to local authorities in each region of the UK in new homes bonus payments each year;
	(2)  how much was top-sliced from the funding given to each local authority to fund the new homes bonus in each year since its introduction; and how much each local authority received through the new homes bonus in each such year.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 22 April 2013
	The full amount of the New Homes Bonus for 2011-12 was met from Department for Communities and Local Government funding, with no local government top-slice. For each of the years 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15, £250 million was allocated to the New Homes Bonus from Department for Communities and Local Government funding. Funding beyond these levels comes from Formula Grant.
	In 2012-13, £176 million was transferred from Formula Grant to fund the New Homes Bonus. In 2013-14, £418 million is being transferred. This funding is transferred prior to the calculation of formula funding. The amount of grant that has been top-sliced at an authority or regional level is therefore not available. The Local Government Finance settlement does not operate on a regional basis.
	Allocations of New Homes Bonus by local authority have been placed in the Library of the House at the time of announcing final allocations in each year. This Department no longer publishes statistics at a regional level, I refer the hon. Member of 18 September 2012, Official Column, columns 32-33WS. The New Homes Bonus does not operate on a regional basis.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to his Department's consultation on revision of Part L of Building Regulations, March 2012, what assessment he has made of the effect on (a) the heat pump market, (b) taxation levels, (c) jobs and (d) progress towards the UK's carbon dioxide reductions targets of reducing the annual carbon dioxide saved from new homes from 23 to 8 per cent.

Don Foster: An assessment of carbon dioxide savings, the regulatory impact on business and competition issues were included in the impact assessment published alongside last year's consultation on revisions to Part L of the Building Regulations in England. This can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/8390/2076716.pdf
	Following the Budget commitment to provide zero carbon homes from 2016, the Government, will announce its decision on changes to Part L of the Building Regulations by May 2013. A final proposal stage impact assessment will be published.

Immigration

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate the research commissioned by his Department entitled, Identifying social and economic push and pull factors for migration to the UK by Bulgarian and Romanian nations made of the annual number of future immigrants from Romania and Bulgaria.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 22 April 2013
	Further to the written statement of 10 October 2011, Official Report, column 3WS, the report has been available in the public domain since October 2011.
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120104120950/http://communities.gov.uk/archived/general-content/corporate/researcharchive/volume8immigration/
	This analysis was commissioned by the last Administration and should be treated with some caution; the research document was not peer-reviewed; and some of the groupings used in the analysis contain small numbers that are based on a sample survey. The right hon. Member will wish to draw his own conclusions on its contents.

Mortgages

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many private residential mortgage accounts for properties in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK were in arrears for more than 90 days in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many private residential mortgage accounts for properties in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK were in arrears in each of the last five years.

Mark Prisk: The Department does not produce statistics on the number of mortgages that are in arrears. The Council of Mortgage Lenders does, however, publish statistics on the number of UK mortgages that are in arrears as part of its Regulated Mortgage Survey, which can be found on their website. It does not, however, publish separate arrears figures for geographical areas within the UK, such as regions, parliamentary constituencies or local authority areas.
	Mortgage arrears are calculated in terms of the balance in arrears and how many monthly payments this represents. At the end of 2012, 97,200 UK mortgages were between three to six monthly payments in arrears. This is its lowest level since 2008, and 30,500 fewer mortgages in arrears than the peak seen in the first quarter of 2009.
	At the end of 2012, there were a total of 215,700 UK mortgages more than three monthly payments in arrears. This is lower than any of the four years preceding it, and significantly fewer than the peak of 275,800 in 2009.
	
		
			  Total UK mortgages more than three months in arrears at end of year 
			 2008 219,000 
			 2009 275,800 
			 2010 247,500 
			 2011 225,600 
			 2012 215,700 
		
	
	The Government is helping homeowners in difficulty—including those with high levels of arrears—by tackling the record deficit inherited from the last Administration to prevent a rapid increase in interest rates hitting struggling households.
	We are committed to working closely with lenders, debt advice agencies and local authorities to ensure that repossession is only ever a last resort and that effective help and advice for homeowners at risk of repossession is available.
	www.gov.uk/repossession/get-advice
	outlines the options available to households.
	A range of Government support is in place to help homeowners at risk of repossession. Targeted support includes the Department for Communities and Local Government funded £221 million Mortgage Rescue Scheme, aimed at vulnerable homeowners at risk of repossession which has been improved to deliver better value for money for the taxpayer. Applications for the scheme are considered by local authorities across England as part of their duties to prevent homelessness. Support for mortgage interest, paid as part of DWP benefits, remains available to help eligible out of work households meet their monthly interest payments.
	The Department announced £20 million funding for preventing repossessions in February last year which provides additional options for local housing authorities to tackle repossessions in their local area. South Tyneside council received £92,128 for a Preventing Repossessions Fund which can be used to offer small interest free loans or grants to households at risk of repossession to address immediate short-term financial difficulties and avoid households becoming homeless due to mortgage possession.

Pay

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what allowances and subsidies in addition to salary were available to officials in (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies in each of the last five years; and what the monetary value was of such payments and allowances in each such year.

Brandon Lewis: A full breakdown of the monetary value of each type of allowance and subsidy paid in addition to salary for the last two financial years will be placed in the Library of the House.
	For information on allowances and subsides in addition to salary for the period 2009-10 and 2010-11, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 8 March 2012, Official Report, column 861W, where the information requested was placed in the Library of the House.
	Allowances and subsides in addition to salary for the financial period 2008-09, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 25 October 2010, Official Report, column 87W.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government does not hold information centrally on allowances and subsidies made to staff within its agencies prior to 2009-10.
	The Department is reviewing its allowances and subsidies as part of wider work to review its overall pay structure.
	Based on current estimates, the DCLG Group is reducing its annual running costs by 41% in real terms by 2014-15. This equates to net savings of at least £532,000,000 over this spending review period.
	Our departmental audited annual accounts for the core Department show that total staff costs fell from £216 million in 2009-10 to £109 million in 2011-12; this is an annual saving of £107,000,000.

Sick Leave

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies have had (i) fewer than five days, (ii) five to 10 days, (iii) 10 to 15 days, (iv) 15 to 20 days, (v) 20 to 25 days, (vi) 25 to 50 days, (vii) 50 to 75 days, (viii) 75 to 100 days, (ix) 100 to 150 days, (x) 150 to 200 days, (xi) more than 200 days, (xii) more than three months, (xiii) more than six months and (xiv) more than one year on paid sick leave (A) consecutively and (B) in total in each of the last five years.

Brandon Lewis: I have placed a table in the Library of the House for the central Department and its three executive agencies for short-term and long-term absence. Data for the Department's Non-Departmental Public Bodies is not held centrally. The full information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The core Department's absence rate in 2012 was 6.1 average working days lost per member of staff. This is lower than the civil service average of 7.6 days and below the private sector average of 7.1 (based on the CIPD20 measure).
	I also refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 15 April 2013, Official Report, columns 222-23W, on the steps we are taking to reduce such absence.

Social Rented Housing

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2013, Official Report, column 477W, on social rented housing, whether mortgage providers have been informed of his Department's initiative to bring empty homes back into use.

Mark Prisk: Full details of all the empty homes initiatives were made available on the Department's website as they were announced:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/news/funding-boost-will-help-stop-the-rot-of-empty-homes
	https://www.gov.uk/government/news/community-groups-to-bring-2-000-empty-homes-back-to-life-with-government-help
	https://www.gov.uk/government/news/145-million-boost-to-help-communities-tackle-empty-homes
	https://www.gov.uk/government/news/first-cash-for-neglected-neighbourhoods-to-bring-empty-homes-back-into-use
	Officials from the Department for Communities and Local Government regularly meet with the Council of Mortgage Lenders to discuss a range of matters.

Travel

Priti Patel: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many officials in No. 10 Downing Street travelled on (a) domestic and (b) international flights in each of the last five years; in which class categories; at what total cost; and what the monetary value was of the 20 highest airfare charges in each such year;
	(2)  how many officials in No. 10 Downing Street stayed in hotels in (a) the UK and (b) every other country during the last five years; at what total cost; and what the monetary value was of the 20 highest such hotel expenses in each such year.

Francis Maude: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The Prime Minister’s Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.
	To drive up efficiency this Government has established a new central contact for travel arrangements and an online booking system.
	As was the case under the previous Administration, officials may travel on departmental business. Those travelling on Government business should always consider the business case for their travel and work to minimise unnecessary expenditure.
	Since the general election, this Government has significantly increased the transparency around how it spends public money, including on travel. Details of overseas travel by all Ministers are published quarterly, alongside all spend by Departments over £25,000 and over £500 on Government Procurement Cards. We are exploring how we can extend our transparency arrangements to cover senior officials' travel.

Staff

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 17 April 2013, Official Report, column 492W, on senior civil servants, how many staff have (a) resigned, (b) taken voluntary early retirement and (c) taken long-term sick leave in each year since 2009.

Jo Swinson: In June 2009 the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) was merged with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) to create the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS); therefore we only have access to data from this date.
	The following table shows the number of staff who have (a) resigned, (b) taken voluntary early retirement and (c) taken long-term sick leave in each year.
	
		
			  (a) Resigned (b) Voluntary early retirement (c) Long-term sick(1) 
			 2009 50 2 21 
			 2010 102 196 78 
			 2011 74 65 99 
			 2012 71 3 102 
			 2013 16 47 20 
			 Totals 313 313 320 
			 (1) Defined as over 21 working days or 29 calendar days. Some long-term cases may over-lap calendar years. Numbers given from when absence started.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to reduce the cost to the public purse of use of the NHS to treat illnesses traced to alcohol abuse.

Anna Soubry: The Government's Alcohol Strategy, published on 23 March 2012, brings together the Government's approach to reducing the incidence of alcohol-related disease and crime.
	The strategy includes a range of actions such as:
	proposals to tackle the availability of cheap alcohol;
	an industry pledge through the responsibility deal to take 1 billion units out of the market by 2015;
	building on the introduction of a ring—fenced public health grant to local authorities in England through greater use of brief interventions, specialised alcohol treatment, and alcohol liaison nurses within hospital emergency departments; and
	in England, we are funding an alcohol check within the NHS Health Check for adults aged between 40 and 74 for the first time from April 2013.
	The Government sought views on a number of measures set out in the Alcohol Strategy, in a consultation published by the Home Office on 28 November, which concluded on 6 February. We will set out a response in due course.
	Dame Sally Davies, the chief medical officer, will oversee a review of the alcohol guidelines to ensure they are based on the best possible evidence.
	Public Health England (PHE) is the new Executive agency of the Department of Health with the role of supporting local authorities responsible for public health. PHE will provide data, evidence and support to local authorities and national health service partners to enable them to reduce the harmful impact from alcohol in local communities.
	PHE will also encourage greater use of effective interventions, such as brief interventions, alcohol interventions in secondary NHS care and the treatment of dependent drinkers.

Anorexia

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many patients were treated in the NHS after presenting with anorexia nervosa in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  what recent representations he has received from third sector organisations about the quality of anorexia nervosa care in the NHS; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what recent steps he has taken to ensure that NHS trusts improve the experience of patients suffering from anorexia nervosa;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the number of people suffering from anorexia nervosa who remain without treatment because (a) treatment is not available to them and (b) they are unwilling to be treated.

Norman Lamb: We do not collect statistics on the number of patients treated in the national health service for anorexia nervosa. However, numbers of finished admission episodes with a primary diagnosis of anorexia nervosa over the past 10 years are supplied in the following table. The number of episodes does not represent the number of patients, as an individual may be admitted to hospital on more than one occasion in any given year:
	
		
			 A count of finished admission episodes with a primary diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa for the years 2002-03 to 2011-12, activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			  Finished Admission Episodes 
			 2002-03 1,151 
			 2003-04 1426 
			 2004-05 1,253 
			 2005-06 1,385 
			 2006-07 1,484 
			 2007-08 1,473 
			 2008-09 1,422 
			 2009-10 1,585 
			 2010-11 1,445 
			 2011-12 1,647 
			 Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre 
		
	
	There have been representations from third sector organisations concerning eating disorder issues. Policy officials received a note from the eating disorder charity ‘beat’, enclosing the report ‘Costs of eating disorders in England: Economic impacts of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and other disorders, focussing on young people’ which they published jointly with Pro Bono Economics and launched in July 2012.
	A search of the Department's ministerial correspondence database has identified one item of correspondence from a third sector organisation received since 1 April 2012 about the quality of anorexia nervosa care in the NHS.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) produced a clinical guideline on the core interventions in the treatment and management of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and related eating disorders in 2004 and this will be updated in 2014.
	The guidelines give clear recommendations on the type of treatments that are available, and set out a structured pathway of care. NICE has also published information for the public that explains the guideline and sets out what people with eating disorders can expect from the NHS.
	Responsibility for commissioning specialist in-patient eating disorders services (both adults and children) transferred to NHS England on 1 April 2013 and the NHS England has consulted on a national service specification against which it will commission these services. It is our expectation that this approach will result in better planning and co-ordination of specialised services, greater equity of access, care and outcomes for patients and a more pro-active and systematic approach to service development, research and innovation.
	We have made no such estimate of the number of people suffering from anorexia nervosa who remain without treatment, for either reason.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department has allocated to drug addiction services in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England in each of the last three years.

Anna Soubry: Central Department of Health funding for the treatment of adult drug dependence in Coventry, the West Midlands and England in the last three years is set out in the following table. This money was allocated via. the adult pooled treatment budget.
	
		
			 Central Department of Health funding for drug treatment in Coventry, the West Midlands and England for 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 
			 £ million 
			  2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Coventry 2.47 2.64 2.80 
			 West Midlands 41.38 42.01 42.11 
			 England 381.30 381.30 381.30 
		
	
	In addition to these sums, £60 million nationally was provided by the Department in 2011-12 and 2012-13 to ensure offenders get access to drug treatment services. This was allocated according to the historic Home Office Drug Intervention Programme formula, but was distributed through the pooled treatment budget mechanism, supplementing the funding supplied direct to local drugs partnerships by the Home Office.
	From April 2013, the central funding for drug treatment has been included in a wider ring-fenced public health grant. This grant, which amounts to £2.7 billion in 2013-14 and £2.8 billion in 2014-15, is issued to local authorities to support their new public health responsibilities. There is no further ring-fencing of drug and alcohol treatment money within the public health budget.

Drugs: Side Effects

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have suffered from adverse reactions to drugs provided by the NHS in (a) each of the last five years and (b) 2013 to date; and how many such reactions have resulted in death.

Norman Lamb: Reports of ‘suspected’ adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Commission for Human Medicines through the spontaneous reporting scheme, the Yellow Card scheme. The scheme collects suspected ADR reports from the whole of the United Kingdom in relation to all medicines and vaccines and does not distinguish between ADRs associated with drugs provided by the national health service and drugs received from other sources.
	Between the 1 January 2008 and 31 March 2013 the MHRA has received a total of 132,374 United Kingdom spontaneous suspected ADR reports, 7,751 of these were associated with a fatal outcome. The following table provides a breakdown of these reports by year.
	
		
			 Receipt year Total number of ADR reports Number of ADR fatal reports 
			 2008 25,028 1,278 
			 2009 25,465 1/185. 
			 2010 23,310 1,476 
			 2011 25,145 1,867 
			 2012 26,084 1,554 
			 2013(1) 7,342 391 
			 Total 132,374 7,751 
			 (1) ADR reports for 2013 comprise reports received between the 1 January 2013 to the 31 March 2013 inclusively. 
		
	
	It is important to note that the reporting of a suspected adverse reaction does not necessarily mean it is related to the drug. The reports are ‘suspicions’ of ADRs and have not been proven. Many factors have to be taken into account in assessing causal relationships including temporal association, the possible contribution of concomitant medication and the underlying disease being treated.

Hotels

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many officials in his (a) Department and (b) non-departmental public bodies stayed in hotels in (i) the UK and (ii) every other country during the last five years; at what total cost; and what the monetary value was of the 20 highest such hotel expenses in each such year.

Daniel Poulter: Information held by both the Department and its non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) where available for the last five financial years 2008-09 to 2012-13 is contained in the following tables. Responses have been provided for the years that each NDPB has been in existence. Where organisations have been unable to provide certain information, due to it not being held or compilation would result in disproportionate cost, an entry of 'not available' has been declared.
	The six NDPBs were: NHS England, Monitor, Care Quality Commission (CQC), Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), Human Tissue Authority (HTA) and Health Protection Agency (HPA).
	HFEA and HPA are unable to provide information due to disproportionate cost.
	The Department is unable to provide the number of guests who stayed in international or' United Kingdom hotels.
	Total cost and cost of top 20 hotels for Department were:
	
		
			 £ 
			  Total cost 20 highest expenses 
			 2008-09 1,739,947 17,469 
			 2009-10 1,858,454 14,649 
			 2010-11 1,384,056 13,113 
			 2011-12 786,457 14,034 
			 2012-13 591,867 18,097 
		
	
	The CQC are unable to provide the number of guests who stayed in international or UK hotels or the cost of the top 20 hotels.
	Total cost of hotels for CQC was:
	
		
			  Total cost (£) 
			 2009-10 1,047,104 
			 2010-11 816,926 
			 2011-12 752,416 
			 2012-13 1,014,009 
		
	
	HTA are unable to provide the number of guests who stayed in international or UK hotels or the cost of the top 20 hotels.
	Total cost of hotels for HTA was:
	
		
			  Total cost (£) 
			 2008-09 10,965 
			 2009-10 32,640 
			 2010-11 36,965 
			 2011-12 35,531 
			 2012-13 33,866 
		
	
	Monitor are unable to provide the number of guests who stayed in international or UK hotels or the cost of the top 20 hotels.
	Total cost of hotels for Monitor was:
	
		
			  Total cost (£) 
			 2008-09 47,244 
			 2009-10 24,217 
			 2010-11 17,288 
			 2011-12 21,071 
			 2012-13 34,520 
		
	
	NHS England
	Number of domestic guests 2011-12 was 370.
	Number of international guests 2011-12 was three.
	Total cost of hotels in 2011-12 was £250,891.
	Cost of top 20 hotels in 2011-12 was £3,879.
	Departmental information relates to hotels captured by third party travel management systems (approximately 92% of transactions) and costs incurred by individuals and reclaimed through the internal Business Management System (BMS) (approximately 8% of transactions) that was introduced in July 2008. This has resulted in only nine months data being available for 2008-09 via BMS.

NHS: Fraud

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the benefit in (a) monetary and (b) other terms of his Department's counter-fraud activities in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department worked in counter-fraud activities in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how much his Department has spent on counter-fraud activities in each of the last five years;
	(4)  what data his Department (a) publishes about fraud and (b) collects but does not publish about fraud.

Daniel Poulter: A dedicated Department of Health Counter Fraud Investigation Service (CFIS) commenced on 1 April 2010 to provide reactive investigation resource for internal departmental cases.
	Records prior to April 2010 are not separately obtainable.
	The information in the following data tables relates only to the reactive investigating service.
	The value of fraud proven and/or identified in the Department is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Value of fraud proven/identified against the Department 
			 As at 1 April to 31 March each year GBP (£) 
			 2010-11 (1, 2)62,100 
			 2011-12 (1, 2)283,500 
			 2012-13 (1, 3)354,000 
			 (1) Approx. (2) All possible options including criminal (Proceeds of Crime) and civil, are considered as part of the financial recovery process. (3) Criminal mandate fraud attempt prevented. 
		
	
	The numbers of full-time equivalent staff in the Department who worked in CFIS were:
	
		
			 As at 1 April to 31 March each year Full-time equivalent staff 
			 2010-11 1 
			 2011-12 2 
			 2012-13 (1)0 
			 (1) External supplier resource was used for investigation work in 2012-13. 
		
	
	The amount spent solely and specifically on counter-fraud investigation over this period was salary costs of the staff identified:
	
		
			 As at 1 April to 31 March each year GBP (£) 
			 2010-11 52,805 
			 2011-12 105,418 
			 2012-13 (1)33,518 
			 (1) Plus minor travel and subsistence 
		
	
	The Department is a member of the Cabinet Office led Fraud, Error and Debt group and in 2011-12 has implemented the group's programme of central Government anti-fraud activity. This included a staff fraud awareness survey; a fraud awareness week; Civil service learning anti-fraud e-learning for staff; and participation in national fraud initiative data matching exercise.
	All senior civil service have had, under the departmental statement of internal control process, responsibility to guard against fraud. While we can give some specific numbers on fraud investigation spend and recovery, fraud prevention as a whole is an integral part of everyone's job and does not enable specific reporting on savings. Nor are the true results of fraud prevention activity identifiable.
	All new starters at the Department are provided with counter fraud input and have to complete an on-line assessment as part of induction. Protection of public funds from fraud is integral to the Department's operational work, core processes and at strategic level via governance and internal controls.
	With regard to data the Department collects and publishes, limited information is obtained and retained in accordance with appropriate statute and departmental policy. Fraud related data published externally is via the Cabinet Office and this data includes recovered/prevented losses as a result of fraud.
	Internal CFIS management information consists of additional information to enable fraud investigations to be carried out. For example, it includes information about fraud allegations/referrals received and how they have been dealt with. The Department's audit and risk committee is provided with management information on a regular basis.

NHS: Labour Turnover

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether data on staff turnover in surgical, nursing and managerial positions is used in monitoring the performance of NHS trusts.

Daniel Poulter: The NHS Trust Development Authority uses data such as this in its assessment of national health service trusts. The NHS Trust Development Authority Accountability Framework, published earlier this month, sets out a number of NHS trust performance indicators which include staff turnover in the quality governance section. While the indicators differentiate between clinical and non-clinical staff, they do not differentiate between professions.

Operating Costs

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what level of administrative savings have been made by his Department in each of the last eight years.

Daniel Poulter: Administration budgets are Treasury control totals set as an outcome of spending reviews and represent the underlying trajectory for recurrent administrative spending.
	Over the 2002 spending review period (2004-05 to 2005-06) the Department's administration budget fell by 10.9% in real terms; in the 2004 spending review (2006-07 to 2007-08) it fell by 19.3% in real terms; in the 2007 spending review (2008-09 to 2010-11) it fell by 13.3% in real terms; and in the first year of the 2010 Spending review period (2011-12) it fell by 13.6% in real terms.
	Each year, the out-turn on administration spend was within budget, demonstrating implicit savings on these spending review settlements.
	Each spending review baseline will be set on a slightly different basis and/or scope because of technical changes to the administration costs regime (eg the treatment of income), changes to the boundary of the administration budget (eg the recent inclusion of some NHS bodies) and machinery of government changes. The aggregation of absolute (cash) reductions across this period is not therefore meaningful as the data is not directly comparable.

Patients: Death

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many (a) mortality alerts and (b) reviews there have been in the NHS in England in the last three months; and in how many cases services were suspended whilst reviews or investigations took place;
	(2)  how many (a) mortality alerts and (b) reviews are currently under investigation in the NHS in England; and in how many cases services have been suspended whilst these take place.

Norman Lamb: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) mortality outliers programme currently has 40 active mortality alerts. Between 22 January 2013 and 22 April 2013, 21 mortality alerts have been generated internally or received as part of the CQC mortality outliers programme. 17 alerts were received from the Dr Foster Unit at Imperial College, two mortality alerts were received from the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery and two alerts were generated internally. CQC does not carry data numerating how many reviews are currently under investigation in the NHS in England. No services are being or have been suspended during investigation of these mortality outlier alerts.
	There is a separate review being undertaken by Professor Sir Bruce Keogh (Medical Director of NHS England) into 14 NHS trusts and foundation trusts that have been mortality outliers for the last two consecutive years. They are;
	Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust;
	Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust;
	Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
	Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
	East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust;
	North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust;
	United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust;
	George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust;
	Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust;
	Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
	The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust;
	Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
	Medway NHS Foundation Trust; and
	Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	The review began in February 2013 and will publish a public report summarising the findings and actions resulting from the 14 investigations before the summer.
	In March further concerns arose in relation to outcomes from surgery at Leeds General Infirmary's child cardiac unit specifically. In response to the potentially serious concerns that were identified surgery was temporarily halted at Leeds until NHS England had been reassured that it was safe for surgery to continue. NHS England is continuing to work with Leeds General Infirmary to ensure that it can deliver sustainable improvements in outcomes for children undergoing heart surgery over the long-term.

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to implement the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012.

Daniel Poulter: Cabinet Office circulated a Procurement Policy Note on 20 December 2012 with guidance on the requirements of the Public Services (Social Value Act), which came into force in January 2013.
	The Department has reviewed and updated its procurement documentation and guidance in light of the provisions of the Act.

Redundancy Pay

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) each of the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible received payments under a voluntary exit scheme in each of the last five years; and at what total cost in each such year.

Daniel Poulter: Since 2007-08, the Department has approved a number of voluntary exits. In 2007-08 and 2010-11, the Department ran voluntary exit schemes which explains the rise in numbers and costs during those years.
	Details of the number of staff who left and the cost are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Financial year Number of exits Total cost (£ million) 
			 2007-08 76 7.9 
			 2008-09 15 2.6 
			 2009-10 18 2.2 
			 2010-11 261 20.3 
			 2011-12(1) (2)19 2.3 
			 (1) During 2011-12 the Department also used compulsory redundancy as part of downsizing. (2 )Figure comprised of 16 voluntary and 3 compulsory exits. 
		
	
	Figures for 2012-13 will be published as part of the annual reports and accounts.
	None of the six non-departmental public bodies for which the Secretary of State for Health is responsible, made any payment under a voluntary exit scheme in each of the last five years up to 2011-12.
	Figures for 2012-13 will be published as part of their annual reports and accounts.

Royal Sussex County Hospital

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects HM Treasury to approve the redevelopment of the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

Daniel Poulter: All major capital schemes are expected to demonstrate robustly that they are affordable to their trusts, and need to be approved by the Department of Health and HM Treasury before the Government can grant its approval.
	The Department has had recent discussions with HM Treasury and the NHS Trust Development Authority (NHS TDA) about the business case for the redevelopment of the Royal Sussex County Hospital and to identify next steps in approval. The NHS TDA is currently leading the work with the Trust to provide new and refreshed financial information for HM Treasury to support the business case. This information is expected to be available in the coming weeks, however it is not possible at present to give an indication when an approval decision will be made.

Banks: Regulation

Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions his Department has held with the Financial Conduct Authority about the introduction of an independent code of conduct for retail banking staff.

Sajid Javid: Treasury officials have had contact on various occasions with FCA and PRA staff (and, before 1 April 2013, with FSA staff) on possible measures to strengthen culture and standards in the banking sector.
	The Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards has been established as a joint committee appointed by both Houses and chaired by Andrew Tyrie MP. The Committee has a remit to consider and report on a range of issues including professional standards and culture of the UK banking sector, and to make recommendations for legislative and other action. The Government looks forward to the committee's final report.

Dementia

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has a dementia strategy.

Sajid Javid: The Treasury does not currently have a dementia policy.
	The Department is firmly committed to supporting the Dementia Challenge and Friend's initiative launched by the Prime Minster last year, and in this respect the Department encouraged employees to sign up to the "Dementia Friend" initiative after the launch.
	There is support also available for staff through a confidential Occupational Health service with an onsite Occupational Health Adviser available to discuss any medical conditions which could result in long term sickness absence. This service provides both help to identify, assess and prevent ill-health wherever possible and to provide assistance to any staff who are affected. There is also an Employee Assistance Programme which provides information and counselling services particularly if problems could result in absence relating to mental health. Wellbeing events where staff can take part in health checks are also held from time to time.

Mortgages: First Time Buyers

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to make low-deposit mortgages available to first-time buyers.

Sajid Javid: The Government is committed to making the aspiration of home ownership a reality for as many households as possible.
	The Government has acted to help those wishing to own their own home by introducing Help to Buy, which was announced at Budget 2013.
	Help to Buy is a major new package of measures designed to increase the supply of low-deposit mortgages for credit-worthy households, increase the supply of new housing and contribute to economic growth.
	There are two key elements to Help to Buy, the equity loan scheme which is already in place and began on 1 April 2013; and the mortgage guarantee scheme, which will start in January 2014.

National Insurance Contributions

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer What estimate he has made of the number of (a) co-operatives and (b) social enterprises in (i) the UK and (ii) Scotland which will benefit from the employment allowance.

David Gauke: Estimates are not available in the detail requested. However, co-operatives and social enterprises which trade will be eligible for the employment allowance as well as any other businesses which trade. Overall, it is estimated that up to 1.25 million employers in the UK and 98,000 in Scotland could potentially benefit from the allowance in 2014-15.

Public Expenditure

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to communicate accurate and accessible information to the public about the size of (a) Government spending reductions, (b) the deficit and (c) the national debt.

Sajid Javid: The Government is committed to ensuring that the public are made aware of the state of the public finances and its fiscal policy decisions. It publishes this information through a number of different channels. One of which is the published documents, including Budgets and autumn statements, available on the Treasury website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk
	The latest information about the size of (a) Government spending reduction, (b) the deficit and (c) the national debt can be found in the Budget 2013 document available on the Treasury website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/budget2013.htm
	The Treasury also produces infographics to explain some of the key statistics and measures contained in the Budget document available on the Treasury website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/budget2013_infographics.htm

Revenue and Customs: Fraud

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the benefit in (a) monetary and (b) other terms from the HM Revenue and Customs' counter-fraud activities in each of the last five years.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publishes performance data showing the additional revenues it raises from compliance activity within its annual report and accounts. The following table shows the additional revenues raised by the Department in each year from 2007-08.
	
		
			  £ billion 
			 2007-08 11.2 
			 2008-09 12 
			 2009-10 12.6 
			 2010-11 13.9 
			 2011-12 16.7 
		
	
	In addition HMRC publishes various progress reports on the further benefits that its compliance activity delivers. My hon. Friend can find useful information in the following publications:
	The HMRC annual report, the most recent iteration of which can be found here:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/annual-report-and-resource-accounts-2011-12
	The 2012-13 report will be. published in due course.
	Measuring tax gaps:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/tax-gaps.htm
	Levelling the playing field: the most recent update of HMRC Compliance performance:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2013/level-tax-playing-field.pdf

State Retirement Pensions: Carers

Katy Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce a carer's supplement to the basic state pension.

Sajid Javid: The Government recognises that unpaid carers provide invaluable support to people in some of the most vulnerable circumstances in society, and as such we have announced that carer's allowance will continue to exist as a separate benefit. While we continually keep benefits under review, there are no plans to introduce a carer's supplement to the basic state pension.
	Carers on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as pension credit. This benefit can be paid to carers at a higher rate through the additional amount for carers, which is currently worth up to £33.30 a week.

Taxation: Electronic Cigarettes

John Woodcock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on taxation on e-cigarettes; what representations he has received on their classification for taxation purposes; and if he will make a statement on the future taxation of such products.

Sajid Javid: E-cigarettes do not contain tobacco, and are therefore not liable to tobacco products duty; however, they are liable to VAT. The Government keeps all taxes under review, and decisions on taxation are a matter for the Chancellor as part of the Budget.
	Treasury Ministers and officials receive and consider a wide variety of representations from organisations in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

Taxation: Environment Protection

Tim Yeo: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the Carbon Price Floor on the competitiveness of UK business.

Sajid Javid: The carbon price floor establishes a minimum carbon price, which sends an early and credible signal to drive investment in low-carbon electricity generation and support the UK's long-term energy security.
	For most businesses, direct energy costs are a relatively small proportion of total costs. In 2011, purchases of energy and water accounted for less than 3% of total costs for UK manufacturing. In 2013 the carbon price floor will add around 2% to the average business electricity bill. However over the longer term, consumers stand to benefit from cleaner, cheaper and more reliable sources of low-carbon energy as a result of the Government's policies.
	The Government recognises the cumulative impact of energy and climate change polices on the most energy intensive industries. Autumn statement 2011 announced a package of measures, worth £250 million over the spending review, to help these businesses adjust to the low-carbon transformation while remaining competitive. The Budget announced that energy-intensive industries will continue to receive support in 2015-16.
	Energy-intensives will also benefit from relief from the costs of electricity market reform, subject to state aid; an exemption from the climate change levy (CCL) for metallurgical and mineralogical processes; and an increase in CCL relief to 90% on electricity for most energy-intensive businesses who are part of Climate Change Agreements UK businesses will also benefit from a further reduction in corporation tax to 20% by 2015 and the introduction of a £2,000 per year employment allowance for businesses and charities from April 2014 to reduce their employment and NICs bill.

Welfare Tax Credits: Wales

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in (a) Ynys Mon, (b) Gwynedd, (c) Conwy, (d) Denbighshire, (e) Flintshire and (f) Wrexham local authority areas are claiming (i) working family tax credit and childcare tax credit change in circumstance income disregards, (ii) childcare tax credit first income threshold, (iii) childcare tax credit second income threshold, (iv) childcare tax credit baby element, (v) working family tax credit 30 hour element, (vi) working family tax credit basic element, (vii) working family tax credit single parent and couple element, (viii) working family tax credit 50-plus element and (ix) working family tax credit minimum hours for couples.

Sajid Javid: Working family tax credit was abolished in March 2003 and replaced by the current child and working tax credit system.
	(i) Final tax credit entitlement for a given year is based on income in that year if that is: more than £2,500 lower than the income in the previous year; or exceeds it by more than £5,000. A year on year income fall of less than £2,500; or increase of less than £5,000 is disregarded in calculating the current years’ final tax credit entitlement, and the previous years’ income is used.
	(ii-iii) The tax credit income thresholds cannot be claimed, they represent the point at which a families award begins to be tapered away. There are two income thresholds in tax credits.
	Any family eligible for any element of working tax credit (WTC) can receive their full entitlement until their annual household income reaches £6,420 p.a. After this point, their tax credit entitlement is tapered away at a rate of 41 pence for each additional £1 of income beyond the threshold.
	Any family eligible for child tax credit (CTC) only, can receive their, full entitlement until their annual household income reaches £15,910 p.a. After this point, their tax credit entitlement is tapered away at a rate of 41 pence for each additional £1 of income beyond the threshold.
	(v-vii) The table below shows the number of families in the requested regions benefitting from the WTC basic element, WTC lone parent or couple element, and the WTC 30 hour element. These figures are based on HMRC's Tax Credits National Statistics publication for December 2012. Further statistics and information can be found here:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/personal-tax-credits.htm#1
	
		
			 Number of families benefitting from certain elements of WTC 
			 Thousands 
			  (vi) WTC Basic element (vii) WTC lone parent or couple element(1) (v) WTC 30 hour element 
			 Ynys Mon Isle of Anglesey 3.9 3.4 2.9 
			 Gwynedd Gwynedd 7.1 6.0 5.4 
			 Conwy Conwy 6.8 5.8 4.9 
			 Sir Ddinbych Denbighshire 5.6 4.9 4.1 
		
	
	
		
			 Sir y Fflint Flintshire 8.1 7.0 6.1 
			 Wrecsam Wrexham 7.6 6.7 5.6 
			 (1) The numbers in this column include people who receive either the lone parent, or the couple's element. 
		
	
	(iv, viii) The baby element of child tax credit, and the 50+ return to work element of working tax credit were abolished in April 2011 and April 2012 respectively; therefore there are no current recipients. These changes were part of a package of measures reaffirming the government's commitment to making work pay. Since 2010, the government has announced successive increases in the personal allowance totalling £3,525, representing a rise of more than 50% in just four years. These changes will benefit 25.4 million individuals and provide a real terms gain of £507 to most basic rate taxpayers in 2013-14. Around 2.7 million individuals will be taken out of income tax all together by April 2014.
	(ix) The hour's rules for couples claiming working tax credit changed in April 2012. A couple that is responsible for a child or young person must work at least 24 hours between them, and one adult must be working at least 16 hours. If the couple is not responsible for a child one adult must be over 25 years old and working at least 30 hours a week.
	Recent figures have shown that nearly three quarters of families affected by the April 2012 change to the WTC hours rule have since reported an increase in hours worked. This data is evidence that difficult welfare reform can combine savings for the taxpayer with better incentives for people who want to work.